Opposition is growing. The Lewisham Deptford Labour Party passed a resolution in opposition to academisation and free schools. But at the end of the day, the decision will be made by the councillors. So writing to them is very important.

The list of councillors is available on on website at https://stopacademiesinlewisham.org/who-to-write-to/

Below is a suggested wording, feel free to edit, copy or make your own points!

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Dear Councillor ____________,

I am writing to you as a parent of children who go to ____________ school in your ward because I am very concerned about the proposals in the Education Commission’s report to the Mayor and cabinet. As you are probably aware the report encourages schools to consider becoming part of Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs).

If a school becomes an academy all democratic control is lost. Academies do not have to have parent governors or indeed any governors except those they choose to appoint and they are not controllable by the council. They are answerable only to themselves and Ofsted. I want to have a say in our school, I want to be able to contact you about our school and for you to be able to have influence over what happens at the school.

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Education found, there is no evidence that academies raise educational outcomes and indeed Sir Michael Wilshaw of Ofsted recently criticised the value for money that seven of the top MATs provide.

When schools become academies, our public property is transferred to a private organisation, they pay nothing for it. It is not only a privatisation but a privatisation with no financial gain for the public.

Finally, no matter how seemingly benign the academy or MAT, once a school is an academy it can change control quickly and easily to another academy, less friendly and less benign. Once a school is removed from LEA control it is impossible to return it.

Every school we lose to being an academy makes it harder to sustain the LEA and puts more pressure on other schools to consider academisation.

Given all of the above I would ask you to do everything in your power to oppose the Commission’s report and further academisation in Lewisham.

Thank you for your consideration of these points.

Yours sincerely,