It needs to be acknowledged that the case for acquiring an academy status has been well argued for by the interested schools and the academies make good sense for a number of reasons including: (a) parents in Harrow have exceptionally high expectations of their children’s academic achievement - thriving private tutoring in Harrow confirms this (b) “good” and “outstanding” schools are Ofsted grades where these grades do not always correspond with the education standards achieved, also “narrowing the gap” between those who achieve well/ don’t achieve well has been an ongoing improvement target for the borough; therefore, there is room for improving the work of schools which no doubt would be helped by more and better resources.

With more freedom and more control over their own, academies are better placed to achieve improvements by: (a) devising the curriculum that suits the range of abilities and interests of pupils and to teach it most effectively and efficiently (conventional/national curriculum is not always appropriate/adequate to stretch the gifted and talented/more able pupils nor to inspire less able/ achieving pupils (b) developing and deploying staff best fit to carry out the work of an individual school Regarding the somewhat politically motivated alarm that the “family of Harrow” schools would break up, the relationships between the feeder and receiving schools, among academies and with others would improve and develop further because it would be in the best interest of all to cultivate a stronger ethos of high standards in education, develop better mutual support and work most efficiently. Strong relationships would also be sustained for maintaining the pastoral and academic care across the phases.

Working in/with the communities, the academies, based on the model of well achieving education establishments like the grant maintained schools of the recent past, would of course be directly accountable to their clients.

Councillor Husain Akhtar
Additional inspector of schools (retired)