As I am no longer a parent of a child in school I am unable to gain a ticket for Monday but I do wonder if the following questions which have cropped up regularly on the website about the Ofsted report will be answered by Mrs Coupe in her action plan meetings:-
1. Mr Lund greeted the Ofsted team on its arrival in school. This is something which is NEVER done by the head of an LEA. How many times has Mr Lund done this in the past ? Was this actually the REAL beginning of Mrs Coupe’s action plan – damage limitation and/or an attempt to influence the Ofsted team ?
2. Mrs Coupe (not parents or the website) brought staffing issues into the public arena by telling the Ofsted team about senior staff objecting to her changes. Ofsted saw no evidence during the week of the inspection – this was admitted – and so the reference in the report was to previous terms. The senior staff in this way had no opportunity to present their point of view. Was this the second point of Mrs Coupe’s action plan - to discredit certain members of staff?
3. The report referred to a number of staff being ‘afraid to speak out in the staffroom’. The Ofsted team MUST have reported this to the headteacher as it is such a serious accusation. Why was no opportunity given to other members of staff to give their point of view – and allowed only the negative comment to reach the press - unless it was the 3rd point on Mrs Coupe’s action plan to discredit members of staff ?
4. Mrs Coupe attempted to defend the school by informing the Ofsted team that a number of senior members of staff had left. Interestingly, PeakHause did not reply to a query about this statement. Two staff left last summer with Mrs Lancaster, Mr Cooper left at Christmas. Who comprise the rest of the ‘significant’ number ?
Whatever is presented by Mrs Coupe in the two meetings it is abundantly clear to anyone with even a speck of intelligence that Mrs Coupe’s action plan began many months before – with no discussion with staff, governors or parents allowed unless they were in complete agreement with her BUT with the full backing of Mr Lund.
mary
How I agree with those points. I knew all those things but it really brings it home to see it written so clearly. THESE are questions we need answers to. I feel very resentful that parents of children in last year's year 6 will not be allowed to attend the meeting, as they will be unable to obtain a ticket. Another case of people being gagged - just like all the people who have tried to question or challenge Mrs Coupe or Mr Lund over the last twelve months. We are worried parents and grandparents who want answers to many questions, all of which relate to the last school year, and the strange goings on during that year - the discrepancies between LEA and Ofsted reports; the misinformation and inaccuracies about members of staff; the real reasons why children were removed from the school; the real reasons for staff absences and resignations - I could go on and on. I just hope enough people attend those meetings on Monday and are able to get important questions answered - we are all sick of being fobbed off with excuses and lies, and feeling powerless to stop anything contentious being brushed under the carpet. We are sick of not having a voice and being treated like idiots. We are intelligent, articulate people with a genuine concern for the school, not a "small group of vindictive parents, who have no concern for Marton School" as Mr Lund, so insultingly said!
Parents, speak up - we have a right to answers!
