In recent weeks I’ve become involved in a campaign against some proposed changes to admissions policies at a pair of local schools. You can read all about the issue on the campaign website, Fair Access Admissions for Langley Schools, and the @KeepLangleyFair Twitter feed.
The campaign is parochial in the best sense of that word. It’s a hyper-local issue and those involved coalesced quite quickly into functioning units working on media, policy, and logistics. We were able to do this because of the existing community infrastructure already in place: WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages for various school Parent-Teacher Associations, plus the fact that we see each other every day at the school gates.
My motivation for becoming involved is a frustration at the lack of accountability in the decision-making process. The decision will be made by the CEO and trustees of a Multi-Academy Trust, who are not elected and not accountable to the community within which they operate. They do have to answer to the Department for Education via the Regional Schools Council, but that’s not the same as answering to the local council. The borough and the local councillors all oppose any change, but seem powerless to stop it happening.
My main contribution has been to record some videos about the issue. I’ve actually quite enjoyed reading the detail of the proposals, researching the implciations, and then trying to distil the key points into something short, persuasive and motivational. You can watch them below, and then share them if you so wish.
Everyone has a right to my opinions