The BHA has welcomed news that the Christian United Learning Trust (ULT) has withdrawn its controversial bids to open faith Academy schools in place of Oxford School in Oxford and Weston Favell School in Northampton. The ULT is the largest sponsor of Academy schools and had already been prevented from submitting further bids to open more schools by the DCSF following the poor performances of some of their existing schools. This included their Sheffield Park Academy, which was placed into special measures in September of this year.
However, in a statement yesterday from the Secretary of State for Education, Ed Balls MP, he announced that the ULT had informed him that they will instead now ‘… focus their full energies on improving Sheffield Park Academy and ensuring that all their Academies make good progress’. [PP – I only have the statement via email & can’t find it on the DCSF website, otherwise I would hyperlink to it]
BHA Campaigns Officer Paul Pettinger said ‘had both Academy proposals gone ahead they would have significantly reduced parental choice in their respective areas and meant that in reality many families would only have had a choice of sending children to local denominational schools, rather than between either denominational or non-denominational schools.’
The Government say they want to increase choice in edcuation. However, there has been clear local hostility to the proposed creation of more faith schools in Northampton and Oxford. A staggering 97% of the respondents to the recent consultation on replacing Weston Favell School with a ULT school opposed the idea. If the Government is to be true their word then they will clearly have to veto any future plans to create new faith schools in either Oxford or Northampton.’
Notes
For further comment or information, contact Paul Pettinger on 020 7462 4993.
The British Humanist Association is the national charity representing and supporting the interests of ethically concerned, non-religious people in the UK. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief, and for a secular state.