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| Academy a ‘drip feed to
disaster’ |
Schools boss faced onslaught at
meeting
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Giles Bird
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DIOCESE of London schools boss Tom Peryer came in for stiff criticism
on Wednesday night, as the former deputy head teacher of Highbury
Grove school savaged plans for a church-sponsored city academy.
At the same time, education chiefs confirmed two pupil referral
units (PRUs) will close as part of a government programme.
Paul Curran, Islington’s head of children’s services,
broke the news during a highly-charged public meeting where architects
unveiled their vision for the St Mary Magdalene Academy.
Giles Bird, now a head teacher in Enfield, who lives in Liverpool
Road, Holloway, close to the academy site, slammed the plans as
“a drip feed into disaster”.
Many residents were dismayed the scheme had come this far, stating
the Barnsbury Complex would be a better, more spacious site.
They said the 14.5 metre-high tower at Liverpool Road would be too
high and 1,400 pupils too many to “cram” onto one site.
Mr Peryer said: “It is true to say that this is one of the
tightest secondary school site for pupils in Islington. It is at
the low end but it is not highly out of kilter with the other secondary
schools.”
Mr Bird said the roof-top playground and lack of recreation space
on the site could create behavioural problems.
He said: “The presumptions we have heard about this school
are out of step with pragmatic reality. My concern as a head teacher,
includes issues such as staggered lunchtimes.
“Any rolling programme tries to minimalise the initial impact
but what’s happening is it’s a slow drip feed into disaster
and there’s no way back afterwards.
“Young people need their own space to find their own groups
and tribal space – these just don’t exist on this site.”
Council planners, education chiefs, councillors, and representatives
from sponsors the Diocese of London, all clashed with residents
over the plans.
Crossley Street resident Paul Greaney wanted to know why, if the
PRU at Lough Road was being sold, the academy could not be smaller
or pupils decanted between the two sites.
Lough Road, an old Victorian School, and another PRU in White Lion
Street, Angel, are both prime sites for development, and could be
converted into “posh flats” similar to Angel and Moorfields
Schools.
Mr Curran said: “We are in the very beginning stages of developing
proposals. It’s is part of the government’s Building Schools
for the Future vision. We are planning to see if we can have separate
facilities (for problem pupils) in existing school sites. It’s
going to be at least two years.”
Architect Ian Taylor showed advanced plans for St Mary Magdalene,
much of which will be clad in modern wood, he said.
He added the shadows cast by the buildings on neighbouring homes
would not impact on their daylight.
Islington planning boss Graham Loveland said: “There no point
trying to set down strict parameters for all these aspects. We have
to allow (St Mary Magdalene) to evolve over time.”
The meeting heard how a number of trees would be chopped down and
replaced but two distinctive London planes will be retained. A roof-top
playground will be fenced off and illuminated with “down-lighting”
bulbs. The front of the school will be lit-up at night.
Ninety staff will be employed at the school, which is car-free and
offers only three parking spaces outside the grounds.
Councillor James Kempton, executive member for children, announced
at the meeting he will become chairman of governors at the new academy,
replacing endocrinologist Dr Joy Hinson.
The final decision on the academy will be taken on September 27. |
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