Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has revoked the academy order on King Edward VII School after the school secured a ‘good’ rating in a follow-up Ofsted inspection. Read the Star article here.
The KES – The Future campaign will continue to shine a light on the forced academisation process, which gave neither the school or parents a say in decisions about its future. Parents submitted hundreds of FOIs, organised meetings with the local authority, set up google forms to gather views from worried parents, and made representations to the Department for Education’s Regional Advisory Board. The Academies Act 2010 does not require the Government to take account of any parental or school view when academisation is forced. The Government wants all schools to become academies by 2030.
VIDEO BBC BREAKFAST – “The one-word doesn’t just label the school, it labels the whole school community…”
Parents of King Edward VII School have spoken to BBC Education Editor Branwen Jeffreys about the devastating impact Ofsted one-word judgements have on school communities.
The comments were broadcast on BBC Breakfast as part of a wider piece looking at the implications of changes to the Ofsted inspection framework including immediate changes to schools judged ‘inadequate’ due to safeguarding concerns but found to be good, or better, in other areas.
Click on the image above to watch the BBC Breakfast piece, or check out the news story here.
VIDEO – “I’m on your side,” Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott backs campaign to save King Edward VII School from academisation
“If so many people are getting so emotionally involved in trying to stop this happening to the school then those people should be listened to.
“Nobody has called any town hall meetings about this, nobody has involved the parents, or the teachers, all the parties who should be involved. Which is why I agreed to sign the petition. I wish the campaign all the very best.”
Joe Elliott, Def Leppard
Reprieve from academy order announced
A “pause” to the academisation of King Edward VII School has been announced today (12 June). The reprieve – which was revealed by Headteacher Linda Gooden in a message to parents and carers – will allow the Regional Director, who acts on behalf of the Education Secretary, to take stock of the findings of the most recent fully graded inspection before recommencing any moves towards forced academisation. Check out the Schools Week article here.
80% of surveyed parents and carers said they would rather NOT join a multi-academy Trust at all
Why hundreds of parents are taking a stand against forced academisation
“No one wants to listen to the views of the families whose children and teenagers attend the school every day, who take part in its wide variety of clubs, who value our expert and caring teachers and its broad and ‘ambitious’ curriculum.” Emma Wilkinson set out why parents are taking a stand against forced academisation of King Edward VII School. Read the Yorkshire Bylines article here.
NO UNIFORM, experienced and knowledgeable staff and breadth of curriculum and other activities (sport, art, music and trips) were the 3 top things parents/carers said they most valued about the school
Hundreds protest outside City Hall against forced academisation
Hundreds joined a protest outside Sheffield City Hall today (22 April), calling for plans to convert King Edward VII School to an academy to be ditched. The demonstration took place ahead of a Department for Education Yorkshire and Humber Advisory Board meeting which could see KES join a multi-academy trust as early as next week (25 April). Read the Sheffield Star article here.
LESS than 3% of surveyed parents/carers thought Brigantia Learning Trust would be a good choice should academisation go ahead
Open Meeting – Wednesday 8th March – 6:30pm.
In recent feedback from 400 surveyed parents collected in less than three days and presented to the local authority on 8 March, less than 3% of parents thought Brigantia was a good choice should academisation go ahead.
Survey results were handed over to SCC representative. Fuller notes will be uploaded to “Meetings” page as soon as possible.
This site has been created by parents in response to the forced academisation of King Edward VII School (KES), Sheffield. It provides independent information for parents, carers and pupils.
The Ofsted report published in January 2023 has rated KES as inadequate. As a result of this the government has made a directive academy order which will see KES taken out of council control and placed with a Multi-academy trust (MAT).
Parents and students value the existing ethos and values at KES and are opposed to forced academisation (see “What is an Academy?”).
Parent groups are actively exploring the scope for legal challenge as well as looking to influence the choice of provider should academisation go ahead.
This site aims to provide information updates, background, news of support / action / campaigning / letter writing and meeting opportunities.
Please see all the links to a WhatsApp community and small groups and return here for links to social media and any published documents.
Latest updates
Education Committee publishes KES campaigner’s views on usefulness of Ofsted
A parent who helped fight the forced academisation of King Edward VII School has had her views about the usefulness of the Ofsted inspection process shared by the Education Committee’s inquiry into Ofsted’s work with schools. The inquiry – which was launched by an influential group of MPs in June 2023 – aims to assess…
Parents demand ‘vital’ action following ‘good’ Ofsted inspection report
Nearly 500 parents and families have signed an open letter to the Education Secretary Gillian Keegan calling for the academy order placed on King Edward VII School to be revoked. In the open letter, they write: “This past school year has been a very unsettling and stressful time, which the whole community has worked incredibly…
MPs call on Education Secretary to rescind academy order as matter of urgency
Sheffield MPs are calling on Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to revoke the academy order to force King Edward VII School to become an academy. The move follows the publication of the latest inspection report – in which the school was judged ‘good’ in all areas. In a collective display of strength, Olivia Blake MP (Hallam),…
Stop the academisation of King Edward VII School 