Category Archives: Prendergast

Prendergast Federation Stories

Submit your response to the Prendergast consultation

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With just 2 days of the consultation left we've got a job for you...make your voice heard!
If you think the risks of LSFed becoming a MAT outweigh its proposed opportunities, submit text from the next slide into the consultation form to send the LSFed governing board a clear message
"I stand by the brilliant learning support staff and teachers. I pledge my commitment to equality of opportunity for all. I demand a say in teh future of our community of schools. I vote NO to LSFed Prendergast Schools MAT! For collaboration and governance: find another way. Lewisham Schools; Stronger Together!"
This campaign started with a petition demanding a vote on the proposed academisation of LSFed Prendergast schools. Over 1000 have signed so far! The board of governors are denying this democratic right. Make them listen!
Thank you for your support so far! Keep sharing, spread the word and make our voices heard! Thank you!

An urgent message from the parent-led Protect Prendergast Campaign:

With just 2 days of the consultation left we’ve got a job for you…make your voice heard!

If you think the risks of LSFed becoming a MAT outweigh its proposed opportunities, submit text from the next slide into the consultation form to send the LSFed governing board a clear message:

“I stand by the brilliant learning support staff and teachers. I pledge my commitment to equality of opportunity for all. I demand a say in the future of our community of schools. I vote NO to LSFed Prendergast Schools MAT! For collaboration and governance: find another way. Lewisham Schools; Stronger Together!”

This campaign started with a petition demanding a vote on the proposed academisation of LSFed Prendergast schools. Over 1000 have signed so far! The board of governors are denying this democratic right. Make them listen!

Thank you for your support so far! Keep sharing, spread the word and make our voices heard! Thank you!

Submit your response to the consultation now and tell the governors we say #handsoffprendergast

Consultation form here: http://www.lsfedmatproposal.com (scroll to bottom of the page)

Please follow the Protect Prendergast campaign on social media:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/keepprendergast

Instagram: www.instragram.com/protect.prendergast

Further campaign links and resources: linktr.ee/protectprendergast

Prendergast Anti Academy Film

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Photo of Protect Prendergast protesters who are outside closed front gate to the Leathersellers Hall in London holding banner which says “Stronger Together Ladywell Lewisham”

🎥 Fund the Don’t Privatise Prendergast Film 🎥

📌 Filmmaker Tony Aldis, who has made a number of films for anti-academies campaigns in Greenwich, has agreed to make one for Stop Academies in Lewisham about the Protect Prendergast campaign.

💴 We need to raise £500 to pay for Tony’s time and resources. Can you chip in & share on networks?

💻 Go to https://gofund.me/ed6d1eaf to donate.

🗓️ Film will be ready early in the summer term.

Don’t Privatise Prendergast – March and Demonstration on Saturday 22nd April 2023

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Poster advertising the March and demonstration, with text featured on poster included in the text in the body of the post. Includes an image of a silhouette of three protestors holding placards, on a yellow background with a semi transparent map of Lewisham. Stop Academies in Lewisham, GMB Union and National Education Union logos displayed at base of poster.

Don’t Privatise Prendergast – join us on a March and Demonstration at 11am on Saturday 22nd April 2023.

Assemble at 11am at Loampit Vale next to Prendergast Vale, marching to Hillyfields via Prendergast Ladywell. Bring homemade placards and noisemakers, wear your Hulk costumes and practise your chanting.

Pledge to march here: https://forms.gle/JwaQRk9PHpRLvGAb6 and you can also click attending on the Facebook event here: https://facebook.com/events/s/march-against-prendergast-acca/930092098132136/

Supported by Stop Academies in Lewisham (SAIL), Lewisham GMB and NEU Lewisham, Protect Prendergast Campaign.

The Academy Legacy or an April Fool?

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If it weren’t so serious it would be laughable that the Governors (released on their website on April 1) a letter offering,  as a benefit of conversion, the grand sum of £70,000 for Vale, £70,000 for Ladywell and £50,000 for Hilly Fields.

This is a Federation that in 2014 had a combined income of £17 million, and made in what must surely be a co-incidence  (??)  the same amount, (£190,000) from facilities and services.

As a public service (since most communications from the school don’t actually reach parents) we reproduce them below.

And we would ask the question – where is this money coming from?

Ladywell Vale Hilly Fields
£70,000 £70,000 £50,000
A full time counsellor (supporting well-being for students);

 

 A full time counsellor (supporting well-being for students);

 
Curriculum developments such as Latin or Mandarin in the curriculum Curriculum developments such as Latin or Mandarin in the curriculum Curriculum developments such as Japanese or Mandarin in the curriculum
Introduction of numeracy support classes in year 7

 

 Introduction of numeracy and literacy support classes in year 7

 

 Protection of small group subjects in the 6th Form
Gifted and talented maths groups in the Primary Phase

 
The Headteacher and his team would be able to vary the curriculum 11 -16 to meet pupil needs more effectively The Headteacher and his team would be able to vary the curriculum 3 -16 to meet pupil needs more effectively The Headteacher and her team would be able to vary the curriculum 11 -16 to meet pupil needs more effectively.
It would give the freedom at Key Stage 2 and 3 for subject experts to decide their own curriculum and prepare more effectively for Key Stage 4 and 5, than the proposed arrangements under the National Curriculum would

 

 It would give the freedom at Key Stage 2 and 3 for subject experts to decide their own curriculum and prepare more effectively for Key Stage 4 and 5, than the proposed arrangements under the National Curriculum would

 

 Academy conversion gives the freedom at Key Stage 3 for departments to decide their own curriculum and prepare more effectively for Key Stage 4 and 5 than the proposed arrangements under the National Curriculum would

Meet the Governors (and tell them what you think!)

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You might be forgiven for missing the announcement at the end of last term that the Governors will be available to “make representations in person”. Details are:

  • Hilly Fields School – Monday 13 April (7pm)
  • Ladywell School – Tuesday 14 April (7pm)
  • Vale School – Thursday 16 April (7pm)

This will be an ideal opportunity to see whether they have actually come up with ANY arguments in favour of their proposals.

The detailed response by the campaign to the proposals if you want some bedtime reading before the meeting is available at SAIL response to the WP.

Hope to see as many of you as possible.

Round-up of the March 5th strike

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An incredibly powerful turnout across all three Prendergast schools and Sedgehill, for the strike against academisation, included teachers from both (NUT and NASUWT), support staff (GMB), parents and students.

strike_sedgehill

A large contingent then went up to the Leatherseller’s offices in the City of London to demonstrate and hand in a letter of opposition.

demo_leathersellers

A massive thank you to everyone who participated and those of you couldn’t be there but  supported online.

 

Students show us how it’s done

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On the lunchtime of Wednesday 4th March, students from Prendergast Hillyfields, organised a highly effective and peaceful one hour strike and demonstration opposing the academisation of Prendergast schools.

Some enterprising Year 8’s also took everyone by surprise sporting home made tee-shirts with what is surely becoming the favourite student slogan “We are not Sheppard’s Sheep”.

Hilly Fields students have also produced a massively inspiring video “We say No to Academies because ..”. Go watch it.

school_strike

Support the strike – tell the headteacher!

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If you could email the school before the end of Wednesday supporting the Strike, it would be much appreciated: Here’s some suggested text.

Dear [Headteacher]

I am a parent of a child in Year [ ]  at Prendergast [    ], Lewisham. I am aware that staff at the school will be taking strike action this week in relation to the recent application for an Academy Order by the Board of Governors of the Leathersellers’ Federation.

I believe that the staff at the school do an excellent job in often challenging situations. I regret that they have been put in the position where strike action is necessary to voice their concerns about the proposal to convert to Academy status.

I wish to register my support for the staff at the school and call for a full staff ballot on the issue of Academy conversion for all staff across the Federation, so that further strike action can be avoided.

Yours sincerely,

It can be emailed to: