Press release of 25th
September 2012
WHAAG (Worthing High
Academy Action Group) today challenges Tony Cohen, Chair of Governors at Worthing
High to be straightforward and transparent about recent events at the school.
WHAAG has only ever sought to ask challenging and relevant questions about the
school’s academy conversion application and its consultation with parents and
the community, most of which remain unanswered. We have done this, as a group
of parents and prospective parents, because we care about the school and its
staff. This consultation process, under Tony Cohen’s leadership, has been
characterised by evasion, misinformation and silence.
We now have to ask
possibly the most serious question of all, which will concern parents and
teachers, whether they are pro academy or not:
Why
is Worthing High School the subject of an investigation led by West Sussex
County Council?
An investigation so
serious that Michael Gove will not decide on the academy conversion until its
findings are reported. In his letter to Tony Cohen of 6th
August, which was released by the school to WHAAG, following our request under Freedom
of Information, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, writes,
“I understand that
West Sussex County Council is currently conducting investigations at the
school. I will take the findings into account in deciding whether or not
to enter into the Funding Agreement.”
This significant
information was omitted from the school’s press release at the end of August,
declaring that it had been awarded an Academy Order.
This is an
extraordinary situation and one that needs urgent, transparent and full
explanation by Tony Cohen. He must recognise he has a duty to come clean
about the situation at Worthing High and to withdraw the academy application,
pending a full enquiry. As an academy, Worthing High would be independent from
and unaccountable to West Sussex County Council. As the Department for
Education Academy Order states:
“On the conversion
date West Sussex County Council shall cease to maintain Worthing High School”.
It is therefore
crucial that before academy status can be even contemplated, parents and the
community have confidence that the leadership and Governing Body are the fit
and proper people to take the school out of WSSC oversight.
Moreover, it is
alarming and somewhat ironic that the very Local Authority that Tony Cohen
seeks to cut ties from, by becoming an academy, is currently engaged in
“investigations” at the school.
In recent days, a few
individuals, and notably Tim Loughton MP, has suggested that the WHAAG campaign
may be connected to Alison Beer’s resignation as Headteacher. In the light of
these “investigations” we now respectfully request the full truth and insist
that Tim Loughton retracts his allegations.
We now await full
disclosure from Tony Cohen – the students, parents and teachers of Worthing
High School deserve nothing less.
Sincerely
WHAAG Committee
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