Unions fighting academisation of Leicester SEN school

West Gate School was rated "Good" following an Ofsted inspection in June

Trade unions are working together to stop the forced academisation of a special needs school.

West Gate School in Leicester was served an academy order by the government in 2018 after it was rated "inadequate" by Ofsted.

The school was inspected again this summer and given an improved rating of "good".

The Department for Education (DfE) said it was considering a request for the academy order to be revoked.

The school, on Glenfield Road, is for students aged four to 19 with moderate to severe learning difficulties.

'Turned school around'

In November 2018 it was rated inadequate in numerous areas including overall effectiveness and early years provision.

The inspection came a year after two members of staff were in court after a pupil almost drowned in a sensory pool.

Since then the school's rating has improved.

The National Education Union (NEU) said: "An Ofsted inspection before the summer holidays graded the school as good.

"This means that the staff, leadership team, governing body and local authority have turned the school around in three years, in the middle of a global pandemic.

"It's an insult to the hard work of all those people that the DfE are still pressing ahead with a forced academisation."

The NEU has written to the secretary of state for education to request the revocation of the academy order.

School governors have also written to the Regional Schools' Commissioner (RSC).

Other trade unions are also supporting the campaign, including UNISON, GMB and NASUWT.

'Huge improvement'

Nahied Asjad, who has a daughter at West Gate School, said: "There has been a huge improvement in the quality of teaching.

"I am sure that I speak on behalf of all those parents when I say that the school does not need to become an academy."

The government said academy orders can only be set aside in exceptional circumstances.

This may include a school being rated good or outstanding and being able to sustain its improvement.

A DfE spokesperson said: "We are considering West Gate's request for their academy order to be revoked in light of their most recent Ofsted judgement.

"Our position remains that underperforming schools with an inadequate Ofsted rating should become academies to gain the support of a strong academy trust and secure sustained improvement."