GMB call on Ark Schools to halt job losses at Burlington Danes Academy
GMB London call on Ark Schools to halt the potential 38 job losses announced at Burlington Danes Academy
Support staff, through no fault of their own, are being expected to bear the brunt of the school’s predicted financial difficulties says GMB London
GMB London, the union for school support staff, is calling on Ark Schools to halt the potential loss of up to 38 job losses at Burlington Danes Academy School in Wood Lane, Shepherds Bush.
Burlington Danes Academy is part of Ark Schools, which run a network of 35 schools in the UK, with schools in London, Birmingham, Hastings and Portsmouth. [See notes to editors for a list of other Ark Schools]
The chairman of Ark and founding trustee, Sir Paul Marshall, received his knighthood in 2016 for services to education and philanthropy. He was also lead non-executive board member for the Department for Education from 2013 until 2016.
Another trustee is Lord Fink, Tory donor and former party treasurer known as the ‘godfather’ of the hedge fund industry. In 2015 he admitted to ‘vanilla’ tax avoidance measures, including transferring shares into family trusts while he worked in Switzerland.
Keith Williams, GMB London Senior Organiser said
"With the reorganisation proposals announced at Burlington Dane Academy, support staff, through no fault of their own, are being expected to bear the brunt of the school’s predicted financial forecasts, which has left them distraught.
"Our schools are facing the biggest funding shortages in England since the 1990s as a result of the government’s unjust and unfair changes to the national funding formula for schools, which are threatening to damage standards and undermine our education system.
"Academies, free schools and the re-introduction of grammar schools are portrayed by the government as the flagship for better education. Well the proof is in the pudding, they are not the answer. Investment in state schools is the answer.
"Burlington Danes Academy's financial forecast shows that they will face deficits in the four years from 2018/19. If low paid support staff who live in the local area are faced with losing their jobs to reduce their projected deficit, it raises the question, either Ark went into this with their eyes closed, or they knew full well that it would not be financially viable in the long term. This leads the staff and the GMB to believe the projected financial forecast is due to financial mismanagement.
"The reality as we know is academies are all too often top heavy with Senior Leadership Teams on obscene high salaries whilst asset stripping low paid support staff, Burlington Danes Academy is no different.
"GMB call on the two most prolific directors and trustees of Ark, Paul Marshall who received a knighthood for services to education and philanthropy and has a personnel fortune of £465m, and Stanley Fink who is worth £150m to dip into their personnel sums to bail the school out.
"The proposed reduction of support staff and the significant numbers of redundancies arising from the schools predicted budget deficit has created anxiety for all staff affected who care passionately for the role they provide for children within the school. These proposed redundancies will have a negative impact on the local community.
"The current situation could be perceived that there is an ulterior motive to the potential loss of up to 38 posts."
ENDS
Contact: Keith Williams 07710 631 339 or GMB London Press Office 07970 114 762
Notes to editors
1) Ark schools in London
All Saints Academy, Secondary, Camberwell
Ark Academy, Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form, Wembley
Atwood Primary Academy, Westminster
Bentworth Primary Academy, Hammersmith
Bolingbroke Academy, Secondary, Battersea
Brunel Primary Academy, North Kensington
Burlington Danes Academy, Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form, Wood Lane
Byron Primary Academy, Acton Lane
Conway Primary Academy, Hammersmith
Elvin Academy, Secondary, Wembley
Evelyn Grace Academy, Secondary, Brixton
Franklin Primary Academy, Brent
Globe Academy, Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form, Southwark
Isaac Newton Academy, Primary, Secondary, Ilford
John Keats Academy, Primary, Secondary, Enfield
King Solomon Academy, Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form, Westminster
Oval Primary Academy, Croydon
Paddington Green Primary Academy, Westminster
Priory Primary Academy, Acton
Putney Academy, Secondary, Wandsworth
Swift Primary Academy, Shepherds Bush
Walworth Academy, Secondary, Southwark
Ark schools in Birmingham
Boulton Academy, Secondary, Golden Hillock Road
Chamberlain Primary Academy, Small Heath
Kings Academy, Secondary, Shannon Road
Rose Primary Academy, Kings Norton
St Alban's Academy, Secondary, Highgate
Tindal Primary Academy, Balsall Heath
Ark schools in Hastings
6th Form East Sussex, Parkstone Road
Blacklands Primary Academy, Osborne Close
Helenswood Academy, Secondary, St. Leonards-on-Sea
Little Ridge Primary Academy, St Leonards-on-Sea
William Parker Academy, Secondary, Parkstone Road
Ark schools in Portsmouth
Alpha Nursery, Somers Road
Ayrton Primary Academy, Somers Road
Charter Academy, Secondary, Southsea
Dickens Primary Academy, Turner Road
