10/02/2017 London News

The Head Teacher at one of London's top-performing academies

is under investigation, suspected of fixing exam results.

Mark Keary, at the Green Spring Academy in east London has been

suspended along with senior members of staff.

This programme understands that the allegations relate to GCSE

Here's our Education Correspondent, Marc Ashdown.

Or do they? schools in the country.

BBC London understands a widespread investigation has been under way

for some time into allegations some examinations, this year and last

On a salary of around ?220,000 a year, he is the third

We were tipped off about this last night and this morning the trust

which runs this academy confirmed a number of members of staff,

including Mark Keary, have been suspended.

They say it follows an investigation into alleged

misconduct into examinations, which found some irregularities.

It's caused obvious concern for parents.

I am worried, specifically because I've got my kids

I think it's going to affect a lot of families, a lot of concerns.

Really I am disappointed about it because my children go

With these kind of things you can't trust the education

The Department for Education told us there is no place

for cheating in our schools, and while exam mal-practice

is extremely rare, it is right any allegations

"Following an investigation, exam mal-practice has been identified,

resulting in disciplinary action being taken."

But some say a ruthless results-based system has created

We are aware that there seem to be a growing number of cases

where either teachers or schools are accused or found guilty

And we can't condone that but we think it's a sign

of the pressure that schools are under.

So that means that if you get a year group with some children

who find it harder to learn, they might have special needs,

it doesn't take many of those children to completely

And on the basis of those results, school leaders and teachers can

Green Spring used to be Bethnal Green Academy.

In 2015 three teenage pupils fled to Syria to join

Mark Keary was praised for his handling of the incident.

The school retained its outstanding Ofsted rating.

But now it is under the spotlight again, over what the Trust admits

are serious allegations of possible exam fixing.

Well Tolu Adayoyay has more on the story.

Could the exam results of students caught up in this be affected?

This is very different from when an individual student has been found to

cheat that. Can be treated more easily. In this situation, it could

be institutional mal-practice which is much more systemic. It is

unlikely there would be retrospective action. There could be

more regulation at the school. The school could be prevented from

holding exams altogether. But now the regional Commissioner is working

with academy trusts, to make the investigation is under way.

There's a demand for quick action to be taken to improve safety

for cyclists in London, after three deaths were recorded

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, agrees something has to be done,

saying millions of pounds will be invested to do exactly that.

Here's our Transport Correspondent Tom Edwards.

In Silverstown there are flowers by the side of the road, close

The words say, "A great father and husband, sadly missed."

Ben Wells was one of three cyclists who died over four days.

Carla Morgan and Anita Szucs also died in collisions with vehicles.

Again it has raised questions about if enough is being done

In two of these deaths there are similarities,

both involved large vehicles, a coach and an HGV.

HGVs, in particular, have blind spots, where

One eye witness has told me that what happened here was -

the cyclist came off his bike when he slipped in the mud.

Last year nine cyclists died in London.

Millions have gone into safer segregated

Campaigners say the mayor must now speed up plans for safer

lorries with better vision and more bike lanes.

We really need the delivery to be accelerated.

We need things to move off and that's what's important in order

The mayor has a scheme where only lorries with better vision will be

allowed on London's roads, but it won't start until 2020.

He says he will also invest ?770 million in cycling and that

Is it safe on the road if you are a cyclist?

If you have been the victim of an accident, if you are a bereaved

family member or friend, clearly it isn't.

The reality is you have to make it far, far easier

The good news is the number of people who cycle is going up.

The good news is that there is an appetite for people

who aren't cyclists, to start cycling.

We have to make it as safe and easy as possible.

Really cold, chilly and grim this afternoon. Yes, more of the same to

come really, yes, over the next 24 hours. The weather a bit dull as

dish water at the moment. A lot of cloud around A few flurries of snow

but not doing very much. This was a weather watcher scene from Bentley

in North East Hampshire. On the pressure chart, a little area of low

pressure to the north-east of France but it is getting swished by the

massive area of high pressure across sand navia which is why the front

isn't very active. Sure there will be some more flurries to come but

for most it won't settle. Perhaps a dusting over the downs, as best as I

can offer you. It will be cold with a risk of icy patches for tomorrow

morning. And tomorrow you can read this headline as - more of the same.

Yes, a cloudy start, some snow showers to start the day but a trend

for those snow showers to turn to rain as the day goes by. The

exception to that rule probably over the hills where

exception to that rule probably over the hills where again there could be

a bit of snow, but not accumulating. Another cold