Alan Veale
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End of Term ReportThis week I have drawn your attention to two of the school’s main protagonists – Ruth Coupe and David Lund. As we now reach the last day of term, I think it is time for an interim report on the school’s “new boy” – Mike Turner, Chairman of the Governing body.
Mr Turner was elected Chair of Governors on 19 September 2005, and to be fair, he has not had an easy ride so far. Almost his first act was to chair a meeting (on 3 October) at which the Governing body succeeded in removing/suspending two governors – Beverly Alderson and Paul Curtis – two people who had questioned the policies of Mrs Coupe. There were errors in procedure at this meeting, in which the actions of the clerk to the governors (employed by the LEA) gave some dubious advice. This is one of the issues that forms our complaint to the DFES. Not a good start, then, Mr Turner, and definitely a “D” on your report…
On 17 October, Mr Turner chaired two meetings at school to look specifically at the Post-Ofsted Action Plan – and slipped up again by encouraging debate/criticism of this web-site, despite strict instructions from Mrs Coupe that such debate would not be allowed! No progress here then. “Could do better”…
Into November, and we find Mr Turner has somehow gained promotion as “Manager” of Marton School. Despite the fact that governing bodies are supposed to leave the day-to-day management of the school to the Head Teacher, Mr Turner issues a letter to all parents on 9 November, stating “since I was elected Chair of Governors on 19th September 2005 the Governing body is performing its function of taking control of the management of the school.” The letter is a rambling diatribe against the Action Group, and contains misleading and grammatically incorrect phraseology. He puts the proverbial telescope to his blind eye and declares that he has not seen any complaints – a direct insult to all those who subsequently besiege the web-site to remind him that, while he may not have bothered to read any, there have in fact been a considerable number of complaints raised – and then ignored. “D minus”, I think.
But, to his everlasting credit, Mr Turner has subsequently turned his not inconsiderable talents to altering the school’s complaints procedure! On 24 November, the Governing body got together and voted in some new amendments. They decided that, as a body, they did not wish to see any complaints lodged about the school, but were happy to let their worthy Chairman do that on their behalf. In his turn, the Chairman proposed that he be aided and abetted in this delicate task by the Head Teacher. And if the complaint should be one of those rare oddities “a complaint against the Head Teacher” – would it be dealt with by an Independent Body? Not on your life! No – Mrs Coupe will help investigate the complaint against herself…
And as we reach the end of term, we hear the news that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate has told the school to “Pull Its Socks Up”, following the OFSTED report. Why would they do that, do you think? In his letter to parents on 9 November, Mr Turner stated that “Marton is a fine school with happy staff, working extremely hard, and happy kids getting a fine education. It never was ‘condemned’ by OFSTED or anyone else. There were some areas which needed attention…” The HMI report will be available for all to read next term, and I suggest you read it to get the true facts about how much progress has been made this autumn.
Mr Turner has become the school’s “front man” and self-appointed manager. He would have you believe that all is well at Marton Primary School, and that its current state of euphoria is largely due to the influence of its Head Teacher and her “happy staff”. My impression of Mr Turner is that he would make a good estate agent or a politician. Strangely enough, I have just discovered that he is the current Chairman of the Fylde Constituency Liberal Democrats – but never yet elected as a Councillor… Overall, I think the HMI got it right – Mr Turner, its time to pull your socks up!
Alan Veale
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