Letter sent to the Head Teacher of Stepney Green School, Premm Bhutta, expressing concerns about the breakdown of trust between parents and the school with regards to the current consultation of changing the school to mixed gender school.

BY EMAIL: [email protected]

Mr Preem Bhutta

Head Teacher

Stepney Green Maths, Computing and Science College

Ben Jonson Road,

Stepney, London,

E1 4SD

Dear Preem,

My name is Puru Miah, I am an elected member as well as a parent at your school. I am writing to you to express concerns about the current consultation to turn the school from a single gender school, to one that is mixed. Many parents have contacted me as an elected member to express their concerns. Due to the large volume, and nature of the concerns, I am asking you to halt the consultation, as trust has broken down between parents and the school. Mainly because, an undertaking was given for the school to remain a single gender school during the consultation process, for when the school became an Academy.

Regardless of the arguments about the benefits of mixed gender schools. Parental consent and trust is important for the future of the school. Before Stepney Green School turned into an academy, it was a Community School, as defined by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The very definition of a Community School, puts parents and the community in partnership with the teachers at the heart of the school. It was this partnership, with your leadership turned the school around to the success it is today.

I along with many parents understand the difficulties the school is facing in terms of recruitment and retention of staff. However as expressed in one of the consultation meeting that I have attended, other intervention tools exist, for example changing of terms and conditions, the hiring of of HR consultant to look at the problem. It is only after the above intervention tools have been exhausted, in partnership with parents, should the option for mixed gender be taken up.

As an elected member, I am offering my services to act as a bridge, and with parents and the school, set up a working group to look at the problem and offer solutions. In the meantime I ask that you put a halt to the consultation process for turning the school to a mixed gender school.

For me parental choice and partnership is key, in ensuring the future success of the school. There is also a political element my concerns, that I want to take an opportunity to express. Like many residents of Tower Hamlets, I was not born here but have made it my home. I come from a town called Bedford, which is famous for its Harpur Trust Public Schools. The trust was set up by William Harpur in 1566, who was born in Bedford, came to London to make his fortune, and ended up as the Lord Mayor of London. The schools are successful fee paying schools, and are single gender. Therefore if affluent parents of public schools have a choice of sending their children to single gender schools, why are we in Tower Hamlets denying the same choice to the parents of working class children?

Once again Preem, I hope you will take up my offer and put a halt to the process of turning the school to a mixed gender school. And work in the spirit of the Community School, that Stepney Green was before it converted to an Academy.

Yours,

Cllr Puru Miah

Mile End Ward

Parent at Stepney Green School