As it is now clear that Mrs Alderson and Mrs Reidy are not coming back to Marton, can we assume that divisions between staff are healed? After all, weren’t they the ones to blame for the rifts in the first place?
Strangely this doesn’t seem to be happening, in fact the divisions seem to be growing wider. The letter, below, was passed around staff and signed by twenty people, most of them support staff (out of a staff of about sixty). Mrs Coupe was fully aware of the letter, did nothing to discourage the complaint, and in fact allowed two members of staff to leave school early in order to hand deliver it to Mr Lund. Perhaps she thought that by encouraging staff to lay the blame at Mr Lund’s feet, her own part in the cover up would be overlooked?
And who was one of the key instigators in all this? Mr Nathan Hill. Remember him? He was the one who posted photos with a school child in the background on an inappropriate website, without permission. In most people’s eyes this would be a disciplinary offence, but not under the strange system that now operates at Marton School. Far from being reprimanded, Mr Hill was free to challenge Mr Lund about his handling of events.
The writer says proudly that:
“the vast majority of staff at Marton Primary school have continually and consistently offered unquestionable support towards both the school leadership and Blackpool education authority”
This unquestionable support is obviously now diminishing, and many unanswered questions are now being raised by Mrs Coupe’s remaining supporters. And if the “vast majority of staff” are behind Mrs Coupe, why did only a third of them sign this letter?
The staff at Marton are now beginning to feel the brunt of injustice and unfairness by being ignored by those they have supported. Are they beginning to open their eyes and start to actually question and find out the facts?
Mr Lund’s reply was a grovelling attempt to pacify the employees who were now turning on him. He promised them a meeting to discuss the facts. With five days to go till the end of term, has this taken place yet – or is it something else to be forgotten?
Mr. David Lund
Chief Officer
Children's Services
Blackpool Council
Progress House
Blackpool
23rd June 2006
Dear Mr. Lund;
With reference to ongoing action in relation to the suspension of Mrs. Beverley
Alderson. It is with great concern and growing anger that we write this letter to outline our frustration at the continuing lack of support and explanation offered to the staff at Marton Primary School.
Over the last twelve months; it is without question that the vast majority of staff at Marton Primary school have continually and consistently offered unquestionable support towards both the school leadership and Blackpool education authority , despite the ever cutting ridicule and criticism of a select group of 'anti-Coupe and Lund' supporters.
It is again without exception that members of staff have defended and risen above the calls for resignations, disapproval and in one particular instance, the risk of public humiliation yet still, all of this has occurred without the support and public defence of those in which we trust to protect and support us.
It is with dismay that staff at Marton School have been given no explanation with regards to the apparent agreement allowing the re-appointment of Mrs. Alderson to Layton Primary school. It has in turn further fuelled the ever growing anger and resentment of staff. Once again we are left feeling ashamed and embarrassed that the authority for which we have all shown commitment and trust would seem to abandon any need to offer explanation or at the very least gratitude for the way in which staff are treated.
Several members of staff have over the last twelve months stood strongly and rightly in the face of unfairness and injustice offering their voices to support the defence of the authority in the ongoing hearing.
The said members of staff, whilst both committed and ever conscious of the need to fight injustice have suffered with stress and unease throughout. As yet, it is without exception that no explanation of any significant development has been offered.
We, as a whole both accept and understand that the processes under which such
explanations could be offered are in parts protected by the need of confidentiality. This does not however explain nor excuse the apparent lack of communication.
All members of staff, regardless of position hold the education of the children at Marton their up most priority. It is without blame or fault however that the ongoing lack of staff moral due to the continued treatment and increasing frustration will be having a detrimental effect on the way in which staff are able to support pupils.
Collectively, we therefore request an immediate response in which we would expect an explanation of recent developments and the promise of improved staff support.
We request that you attend a meeting with all staff, in person to discuss the issues raised as a matter of urgency.
It is with great regret that we feel the need to send this letter of complaint but with the hope and sincerity that staff at Marton look forward to improvement and success.
Yours Sincerely
Cc;
David Sanders, Rob Brophy, Steven Colins, Linda Marsh, Steven Tune, UNT -Ross
Homer, ATL -Ken Barker, UNISON, Carol Gee & Richard Derby.
R. Thornton
Now things have reached an all time low. This post appeared now whilst I was logged on and I needed to check and re-check that I was not imagining it.
These are a group of people who clearly had problems with 'senior members of staff' in the Autumn term of 2004 - as reported by the Ofsted team. Did they deal with their issues in a professional way, seeking to sort their differences with the teachers through the headteacher. No ! They waited until the Ofsted inspection which they knew was coming then made a complaint. This brought into the public arena the divisions betweeen the staff - a truly cowardly way to behave.
This of course, then left the way open for Mrs Coupe to make her suspension of 'a senior member of staff'.
They, like others, hide behind statements such as 'anti Coupe and Lund. supporters' not accepting that other members of society are not content with failure. These are staff who were criticised by Ofsted, are producing ever decreasing attainment levels as shown by the PANDA and who lower SATs results for the year six leavers. The school is increasingly being left with a group of increasingly mediocre staff . Yet they have the temerity to expect explanations from a director who has never seen fit to provide them for parents or teachers before.
They demand an explanation about the re-appointment of Mrs Alderson ??? Mrs Coupe knew of the appointment to Layton, as did Mr Turner - why did they not inform the staff ? permission had to be given before Mrs Alderson started work there. Why expect to be informed by the Director. Did they ask this of Mrs Coupe and Mr Turner ?
"Once again we are left feeling ashamed and embarrassed that the authority for which we have all shown commitment and trust would seem to abandon any need to offer explanation or at the very least gratitude for the way in which staff are treated. "
When is the shame and embarrassment this group of people feel going to refer to the way they perform in their profession ? To refer to the way they treated Mrs Reidy - a person who had done nothing wrong but who had been ill for a year ? To the way they treated Mrs Alderson - who has been cleared of any wrongdoing ? Where does this leave their evidence against her ?
"Several members of staff have over the last twelve months stood strongly and rightly in the face of unfairness and injustice "
Well, unless this refers to the staff who have stood for the injustices and unfairness against Mrs Alderson then they have been proved wrong and now need to accept that they are wrong and as AR said, move on.
Alas, I fear they will find this hard. I suspect (and indeed hope for the sake of the literacy levels of Marton pupils) that this letter was not written by teachers but by some other group. As AR pointed out Mr Nathan Hill has played a prominent part over the past year. He complains about 'public humiliation' yet publishes pictures of school on an adult contact website. He posts on this forum as 'Young Speaker' claiming not to have any contact with Marton School. He is supposedly an IT technician yet has never overseen the security levels of the system - allowing supply tecahers to come to Marton to build up their stock of dubious photographs from the web, and children to access pornography.
Yes, this group of staff have have every right to feel ashamed and embarrassed.
I will, however, correct only one grammatical error.
"It is without blame or fault however that the ongoing lack of staff moral due to the continued treatment and increasing frustration will be having a detrimental effect on the way in which staff are able to support pupils. "
Shouldn't 'moral' be 'morals' ? Enough said.
Tracey
whilst surprised at their bravery(?) in finally questioning those in power, I can not believe that this group of staff can be so naive, do they really believe that Mrs.Coupe and Mr.Turner are not aware of the full outcome of Mrs.Aldersons hearing. Blind faith.........for some it is trully a wonderful thing, it allows you sleep at night!
Rob
Disgrace to the teaching profession.
This group of staff at Marton are a disgrace to the teaching profession - writing such a letter and recently allowing themselves to be shut in the staffroom instead of saying goodbye to their colleagues.
My understanding is that one of the visiting teachers had been ill for over a year. Clearly these Marton teachers have no concept of what this illness can do to an individual and how hurt she must have felt after her visit.
Teachers' contracts run until August 31st so even if she was not to return to Marton she had every right to go into school.
The second teacher had been cleared at a hearing involving ACAS. It had been demonstrated that she had done nothing wrong and should not have been suspended - yet they claim to be against injustice !! These peoples' evidence clearly did not hold up to scrutiny in the hearing, yet they dare to write such a letter. Incredible.
The costs of supply cover and the compenstion to these two teachers cannot be justified by the headteacher for whom it seems to be a personal vendetta. This letter also now shows the vendetta being waged by a group of Marton employees, when everything is supposedly settled and the authority wish to allow the school to move on. This group are clearly not going to - taking it further into an educational abyss.
There are jobs to be lost in the authority, some teaching redundances because of this group's actions and those of Mrs Coupe. I am unsure how they can now live with themselves, and should do some serious examination of their consciences over the summer break. The statement "It is without blame or fault however that the ongoing lack of staff moral due to the continued treatment and increasing frustration will be having a detrimental effect on the way in which staff are able to support pupils" seems a very weak attempt to cover their own failings as demonstrated by Ofsted, the PANDA and Sats results.
helen
Was that letter drafted by a certain governor? The style shows distinct similarities to some of the indecipherable gobbledegook put out by said governor in the past.
I have to say I agree with all the previous comments.
The whole thing simply beggars belief.
frustemp
I agree with earlier posters that this blindly foolish group of Marton staff should now be thoroughly ashamed of their “unquestioning support” of Mrs Coupe.
Why didn’t they question why a senior and competent teacher felt that she had no option but to put in a grievance against Coupe after a year of being sidelined, bullied and blamed? Did they even know of the grievance, or was Mrs Alderson too professional to involve them in her suffering?
Why didn’t they question why Ofsted found Literacy so lacking, when they all knew that Mrs Alderson had always done a good job leading Literacy? The PANDA analysis, which R Thornton mentions, now proves that Coupe deliberately set up Literacy to fail, by removing the good bits, then putting them back after Ofsted. The PANDA proves that Mrs Alderson continued to be an effective teacher and Literacy leader, despite her treatment by Coupe.
Why didn’t they question why Coupe was so keen to talk to Ofsted about the issues in her Senior Team, which as Head, she had deliberately failed to address, so she could blame Mrs Alderson, even though we all know she wasn’t the only member of the senior staff to disagree with Coupe. Mr Richardson quietly left – were these unquestioning supporters aware of why he resigned, with no job to go to, risking having no future employment?
It is laughable that these “unquestioning supporters” copied their dreadfully written letter to UNT!
What does this stand for? Are they referring to themselves?
It may be worth noting that one of these “unquestioning” signatories was Mrs Brookes – Deputy Head. What does this say about the relationship between Brookes and Coupe, and Brookes and the staff? ?
HM
Letter
For the first time I have to question one of your posts AR. Your statement that Mrs Coupe knew of this letter and indeed allowed members of staff to deliver it must be conjecture. Do you have evidence for what you state ?
There is no possible way any head teacher of any school would ever allow this letter out of school for public viewing. The head would be totally embarrassed by it, and it would surely bring shame on the school for others to view the poor level of literacy skills of its staff.
No, I simply cannot accept that Mrs Coupe knew anything about it - she would have stopped it and reprimanded them, or at the very least given some guidance on its grammatical content and sentence structure.
Duncan
English ??
This letter is pathetic in so many ways.
It is written in something that bears only a distant resemblance to English.
It misspells the names of at least two of the people it is copied to. Not a great way to get people on your side
I'm not sure but they might also have misspelled Davd Saunders (Sanders).
AR, please tell me no teachers or senior staff signed it!
Mark_H
Author of letter
I know it is a serious matter as these staff are responsible for the English skills of the children at Marton but it does make one wonder who was the author of this missive. Mr. Turner certainly must be a prime candidate judging by his past utterances, but I can think of others who scrambled the English language in the same pompous way. Has Chris Eubank visited Blackpool recently ? or perhaps John Prescott ? Then there is the infamous Mrs Peacock who hasn't been heard from in a while but who could speak gobbledegook with the best of them. Perhaps Mr Toad of Toad Hall .....................?
R. Thornton
Time to go ?
Perhaps now we can seriously question whether this forum and indeed the MSAG are needed any longer.
We have a letter emerging from school which pours more ridicule on the school than the MSAG could ever have done.
We have an authority who displayed to all in their press statements about the hearing that they have only a faint grasp of the truth
We have a public document in the PANDA which displays to all the school's shortcomings
We now have SAT results which sadly show the effects the current leadership is having on achievement (or lack of it)
We have the quaint Mrs Coupe employing Victorian teaching methods in an attempt to raise standards.
We have a settlement which shows the said quaint Mrs Coupe to be guilty of serious misjudgements
We have a chair of governors who only needs to open his mouth to have those around him cringing with embarrassment.
We have labour councillors - Cllr Blackburn - plucking statements from the ether - forgetting that everyone has access to the public documents to which he is referring.
So I think I feel a summer break coming on. After all, it seems we are no longer needed - the work is unwittingly being done for us !
admin
Shall I close the site?
Or shall we wait to see what happens?
mary
See what happens, Admin. I've heard some very interesting things over the last few of days. It would be a shame to miss them!
Watch this space......
Alan Veale
Calling Time
Following on from Richard Thornton’s comments (above), there is certainly an argument for a halt in the actions of the Action Group at least. I encouraged the formation of the same last October because it was clear to me that individual protests on a forum or letters to the paper were likely to be ignored by the authorities. But – like the individual notes played on a piano, when they are properly put together to work in harmony, the end result can be so much more effective.
By working as a team, and with countless messages of support for our ideals on this forum, the Action Group has made its presence felt at every level. The “joint statement” recently issued by the Union and the LEA is testimony to just how badly we have rattled the bully-boys! (And girls)
But now the job is all but done. Events are still unfolding day by day, but none of them look good for the likes of Lund, Coupe or Turner. There are numerous official complaints still to be heard about each of them, and other (more serious) actions are also rumoured to be in the pipe-line. The DfES have already indicated that these three DO have a case to answer – and they check this forum regularly for material to back up the case that the Action Group made last December.
So – unless something highly untoward should happen before next September, I would like to propose that the Action Group be disbanded. As for the website – I would suggest that it remains open in its present form until we hear the final result that we have all been waiting for. Then perhaps it may be an idea to make it “Read Only” – to remain that way as a reminder to those who need reminding that we are ALL entitled to a voice.
Perhaps we could run another poll, Admin?
Alan Veale
R. Thornton
MSAG
My apologies everyone, my comments were rather tongue-in-cheek. I should be more serious, but it was very difficult after reading that staff letter.
We certainly do need the site, I fear, just so that everyone gets to know all the news and facts as they happen as they are coming from so many different sources. The hundreds of readers of the site also need to be kept informed and I think the forum is the most efficient means to do this.
There are still some issues to be publicised soon - but which cannot be published until the exact facts are ascertained. Unlike the authority, the school management and certain labour councillors, statements are not posted on this site without proper consideration and evidence to support them.
I agree with Alan regarding the action group. I would have thought by now that anyone caring enough about the education of their children, and education in general will have severed all contacts with Marton. The issues now have risen above the school and are political - the corruption and dishonesty within the authority and the incredible waste of taxpayers' money.
Tracey
for a lot of people this site is the only way we are kept informed regarding events that have and are still occuring at school. It would be a shame to close this site down. The only alternative method are the newsletters sent by Mr.Turner.................................. enough said!
WAYNE HEYS
Dibanding the MSAG --- definately NOT
Alan, After consideriing your post I do not believe that to disband the MSAG is the proper course of action to take ,after recently speaking to about dozen people ,all who have some sort of connection with Marton,the overwhelming feedback is that people need a voice to express their concerns.
The MSAG is a thorn in the side of Mrs Coupe/Mr Turner and Mr Lund,not because we point the finger at every opportunity,but because our group have tried to make them accountable for their actions.
It is clear that without a recognised point of contact events could unfold where the parents would have little knowledge of just what is going on in school,just think how much information has been passed to us because people out their simply did not/do not trust the avenues which are already in place for them to persue a complaint.
Whilst the MSAG are alive and kicking the heirachy at Marton know that every step they make is been monitored.
Mr Lund will be on a good salary,then why let him off the hook,he has not forfilled his promise to work with the MSAG, to resolve some of our issues which he said last October were vallied. If Mr Turner wants to remain as Chairman of the Governors then he has to also be accountable to the parents of the children of Marton,not to send out totally one sided messages which corrupt the minds of anyone who is not aware of the issues this school has had over the past 12 -18 months.
I have been openly critical of some of the staff at Marton for not standing up and being counted when Mrs Alderson may have needed some support( though I do understand why,and we all have our bils to pay) but by disbanding the MSAG is to do just what those same members of staff did at school,remaining silent plays into the hands of the authorities.
I would be interested to hear what users of this forum think,finally I would ask you to reconsider why we set this group up in the first instance,have we acheived our goals,I say,NO we have not yet acheived everything we set out to do last year, and the MSAG will give the parents of Marton the confidence to know that there is someone prepared to listen and wherever possible seek answers.
Remember we all want the school to return to the position it was in during Mrs Lancaster headship,and that is simply THE BEST JUNIOR SCHOOL IN BLACKPOOL
Tracey
wayne, i totally agree with your comments. to me personally this site is an invaluable method of receiving information regarding events occuring and also gives people the option of posting replies. Whilst not everyone shares the same opinion on countless different topics, atleast this site allows everyone to 'voice' their own opinion. This forum allows everyone to remain civilised by putting thought into how they word their comments(although it must be said there have been occasions where it has been apparent that no thought was involved at all).
If this site allows us a voice we should use it. Everybody is entitled to an opinion and if you care about an issue you should use your voice, many are not confident enough to speak alone-this forum allows many to speak in unison. We have got louder, much to the annoyance of lund/turner/coupe. I still have my voice and i have every intention of using it. This forum is my sound system!!!!!!!!!!
AR
Forum
Tracey,
I completely agree - but not just for the people posting and wanting to be heard.
It is just ONE week since I started this thread - posting that strange letter by a group of Marton staff, but it has been viewed 445 times as I write this!
I find this absolutely amazing. Who are all these people and where are they ? If, as the authorities try to make out, only a small number complain then there is certainly a massive number taking an interest/showing concern in what is happening.
frustemp
Mr Lund came to Marton last Tuesday to talk to the staff.
He didn't want anything else leaking out from the school. He said that the Gazette, Radio wave Councilors etc. do not want to hear anymore about Marton.
He gave no assurances about the future and did not confirm or deny that the Head had done anything wrong.
The staff are not as divided as they were. It could be said that there is now even less confidence in management.
Frustrated.
E. Maltby
Leaking Teachers
What a coincidence - the Director of Education visiting Marton again, perhaps because of the invite by a small group of staff BUT just a couple of days after the SATs results were placed on this site. We know Mrs Coupe did not wish the results to be made public - at least just yet - despite the fact that it is a statutory requirement at the end of the key stage for ALL schools. Yes they must have been very angry that the poor results were 'leaked'. The visit also followed shortly after Mrs Coupe told staff to stay in the staffroom when two teachers visited to collect their belongings. They had every right to do so, they had made a prior appointment and they could actually have been refused the right to enter at the door. Yes, they must have been very angry that this story got out. What an embarrassment for the public to hear about a primary headteacher behaving in such a way.
Mr Lund doesn't want the Gazette, Radio wave, Councillors etc to hear any more about Marton. It might surprise him to know that we don't either - in fact we never wanted to them to hear anything about Marton - except the good things which used to be reported. BUT he has the power, surely, to stop it all himself. He has sat by, or been culpable, in many of the things which have gone wrong. He will need to explain to councillors why Mrs Coupe's actions have cost the authority - avoidably - over a quarter of a million pounds at least. He will have to explain to the Gazette why his department misled them after the hearing.
Well I am sorry Mr Lund, but there are still some teachers who wish to stand up for what they believe in. I believe the letter to Mr Lund was signed by only a third of the staff - and less than a quarter of the teachers. I think that speaks volumes. We will carry on supporting them by posting and publicising EVERYTHING which we feel is wrong. We keep hoping that nothing else will happen to be publicised but are regularly disappointed by the headteacher, the governors and your department - as this last attempt to hide SATs results shows.
WAYNE HEYS
Mr Lund says that Radio Wave do not want to hear anymore about Marton,well well,THATS NOT WHAT THIS E-MAIL SAYS THAT i HAVE FROM THE SAME RADIO WAVE,you cannot pull the wool over everybodies eyes Mr Lund,and I am keeping the e-mail also.
MrPostman
questions
i hope you dont stop this forum. theres a lot of us reading it and its well good. some serious stuff.
looks like this lund guy is a bit worrid.
that wos sum letter by the staff to him. where i work if we had done that to a boss our cards would of been well marked.
JACKIE
During the last week of term I really had my eyes opened. Firstly with some of the shocking comments made during the meeting with Mr Lund and then realising on the day before the end of term that Lisa Thorne, who has been at Marton for 12 years, was leaving the next day, and that I, and many staff didn’t know. Nor was it stated on Mr Turner’s letter to parents that another long serving member of staff was leaving the school.
Lisa Thorne made it clear that she supported Bev Alderson and Jill Reidy, and loads of staff barely spoke to Lisa this school year. Realising she was being quietly pushed out made these staff wake up. I am ashamed at the dealings that are going on at Marton. I now think Marton can’t recover from all this until there is new management.
EX STAFF SINCE 2004
Mr Cooper 10 years at Marton
Mr Richardson 7 years at Marton
Mrs Connor 2 years at Marton
Mrs Alderson 14 years at Marton
Mrs Reidy 13 years at Marton
Mrs Thorne 12 years at Marton
Mrs Taylor 8 years at Marton
Mrs Lace 14 years at Marton
Mr Lomax [Governor] 14 years at Marton
Mr Taylor [Governor] 12 years at Marton
Mr Curtis [Governor] didn’t even make a year
Over a Century of service between them.
The staff below have applied for jobs outside Marton this year, two of whom have been there for over 10 years.
Mr Lund confirmed that all staff would struggle to leave now.
WAYNE HEYS
Yes Jackie,as you say it is a great shame that Miss Thorne has left Marton, she has been yet another loyal servant who for whatever reason has chosen to sever ties with the school.
You say that she openly supported Mrs Alderson and Mrs Reidy,maybe this is the reason she has gone, if it is then who can blame her,like the staff who have been told that they may struggle to get a job outside Marton, what a fine mess Mr Lund and Mrs Coupe and of course good old Mr TURNER made of running the school.
When I look at the list you have posted of the staff leavers, one thing strikes home, ALL THESE PEOPLE WOULD STAND UP AND BE COUNTED and I will put Mr Farley in that bracket also , for the rest of the staff well what a future,if you want a move you cant have one and so carry the can for someone else's mess,now where have I heard that before ?
For all the staff who have openly supported Mrs Coupe,then you reep what you sow,and again as Jackie says, it will be a very long time under this administration that the school comes even close to the Lynn Lancaster years !!!!!!!!
Good luck Mrs Thorne but then again you might be one of the lucky ones ?
Tracey
what a terrible situation this school is continuing to be in, well lets be honest it isn't the school at all. It's those in charge and how they have dealt with the numerous situations that they have created.
I'm sorry if i seem a bit dim, but did Miss Thorne want to leave? or was she moved because of the current situation?
billandben
It is quite obvious why Lisa Thorne is having to leave Marton. She has questioned the management of the school so low and behold 'another one bites the dust'. This is more sad news for Marton. Miss Thorne was a really good member of staff and was great with the kids. She has also worked in the After School Group and the Holiday Club for years. Once again the children are going to suffer by losing dedicated, caring staff, and having to get to know new ones.
Lisa
Tracey,
I can confirm that Miss Thorne did not want to leave Marton Although I must admit in my opinion she is best away from there anyway I'm just grateful that none of my children attend Marton. Miss Thorne - I wish you all the best in your new position
Tracey
how very sad that things like this can still happen. In any society people are entitled to different opinions, this is how society evolves. A work environment is also a society as there are different people doing different levels of work. We live in a democratic society where people with different opinions work and live alongside each other. The majority respect and welcome these differences. What a sad state of affairs that apparently at Marton School any difference of opinion can not be discussed for fear of retribution. Are we to presume that in a couple of years only staff who agree with the management or are too afraid to speak up will be the only type allowed to be employed there? What a field day psychologists would have writing a thesis on this type of dictatorship, sorry management!
Tracey
how very sad that things like this can still happen. In any society people are entitled to different opinions, this is how society evolves. A work environment is also a society as there are different people doing different levels of work. We live in a democratic society where people with different opinions work and live alongside each other. The majority respect and welcome these differences. What a sad state of affairs that apparently at Marton School any difference of opinion can not be discussed for fear of retribution. Are we to presume that in a couple of years only staff who agree with the management or are too afraid to speak up will be the only type allowed to be employed there? What a field day psychologists would have writing a thesis on this type of dictatorship, sorry management!
HM
Yes men
That is certainly what the future could hold Tracey. Just look at what has happened to the governing body. They ask no questions and have challenged nothing. A terrible indictment of our education system !
Although I must admit in my opinion she is best away from there anyway 
I'm just grateful that none of my children attend Marton. Miss Thorne - I wish you all the best in your new position 