09/06/2014 Midlands Today


09/06/2014

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The headlines tonight: at the age of 56.

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Furious parents challenge the school inspector Ofsted's findings about

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Today's news has been domin`ted by the issue of education

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I am very angry. There was not a problem with this school. Driscoll

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has delivered. We'll examine

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the claims that hardline Islamists We're live

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at one school being put into special measures and we report from inside

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the classroom, talking to ptpils There has been a lack of urgency and

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the council's responds to the persistent complaints of te`chers

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about the conduct of certain governors.

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And we look at schools that are thriving in the city to find

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Summer may have not officially started but it is set to be a

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Scrooge! Full details coming up Extremism allowed to flourish,

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head teachers marginalised A damning report

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by the schools? watchdog Ofsted Tonight, the future

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of 15,000 pupils is at stakd. They're taught

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in 21 inner city schools whhch were Five are to be put

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into special measures ` effdctively Golden Hill, socially, and Parkview

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all the ones. The Prime Minhster said this demanded a robust

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response. What are the reaction been there tonight? These posters I am

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told are put up this afternoon by the parents Association are

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criticising the Education Sdcretary Michael Gove and Ofsted and accusing

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them of attacking Islam and sneering at Muslims. We have had simhlar

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responses from parents at these schools involved in the Trojan Horse

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allegations across the city. My colleague has been following

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today's developments. Among the charges are failing to encotrage

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tolerance, not treating boys and girls equally and overall, ` lack of

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effectiveness. One of these schools at the Isle of the storm is here. At

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picking up time, parents defended the school. my children Abingdon

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guesses 2009. I still feel the school is just as good, it hs

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improving. We do not have the school to buy the Islamic ethos in. We put

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it into our children before they go to school. The school has ddlivered.

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But at Christmas, special assembly was cancelled. Ruffles were banned

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from a fate as an Islamic Avenue were set aside for an Islamhc

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theology school. Some parents are concerned. if I want my daughter do

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have a faith `based education I would send her to any number of

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faith `based schools we havd in our area. But it was important dnough

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that she received a state education and that is why we sent our daughter

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to that school. My macro Ofsted have pulled no punishes and in a letter

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to the Education Secretary, the chief inspectors says in sole

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schools there is a culture of fear and intimidation with headtdachers

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marginalise or forced out of their jobs. He said some heads out of

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their jobs. He said some he`ds are taught Ofsted character and ethos of

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certain schools. Birmingham City Council he accused of failing to

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help a number of schools kedp pupils safe from extremism. Under hntense

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scrutiny, is the role of school governors. Governors are exdrting

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far more influence on the d`y to day running of the schools than is

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either appropriate or acceptable. Evidence of unfair and opaqte

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recruitment practices including examples of relatives being

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appointed to an advertised senior posts. There has been a lack of

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urgency in the council's responds. And although exam results are often

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good, the curriculum has become a very narrow, reflecting the personal

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views of a smaller number of governors rather than the whder

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community in Birmingham. Prdviously rated outstanding, Parkview Academy

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is now deemed to be inadequ`te. Two schools are links to edit including

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Golden Hillock School, wherd the governing bodies are said to be

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unaware that morale is low. Inspector said that Parkview did not

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offer the students enough of a spectrum. our school stands as a

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beacon of hope against isol`tion, poverty, drugs, crime and yds,

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potential extremism. Parkvidw is part of the solution, not p`rt of

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the problem. In the Commons, the Education Secretary said all schools

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should promote British valuds. A Birmingham MPs said of the so`called

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Trojan Horse plot that therd was no proof. But what has been at is bad

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governance which have let children, parents and staff down and which

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must be tackled. The council says it has been reassured there is no

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conspiracy. But in one of Europe's's most youthful cities a

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city of many faiths, anxietx and doubts persist about the re`lly

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educate our children. We can still see the school is displaying its

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outstanding rating from last year. It is now rated inadequate. It is

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not an issue just exam results, but Ofsted have said in some schools,

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children are being badly prdpared for life in modern Britain. That is

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a tough criticism for many here to take, and we are in a multicultural

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part of Britain. Thank you card I now churn butter or joined by Sir

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Albert Ball. Direct is `` except all these findings? we accept the

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conclusion that there has bden a failure of governance and wd are

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party to that failure along with others. We have to ensure that those

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matters are dealt with. The Secretary of State has asked me for

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an action plan on that and we will deliver that as quickly as possible.

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In his letter to the Educathon Secretary the chief inspector of

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Ofsted, so Michael Wilshaw, prone to do a serious failure on the part of

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your council. This is a list of criticisms? it seems they f`iled to

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address the potential radicalisation. Do you expect this?

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There is a new regime at Ofsted at the moment and that is putthng they

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are gender as part of the inspection. It was not therd before

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and now there is an emphasis. My macro but you except that h`ve been

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failures? I think across many schools in the UK there has been a

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failure to put in place that agenda as strongly as it should be and that

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includes Birmingham. We accdpt that has been that failure, but dqually,

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it is not just the failure of Birmingham City Council it hs the

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failure of PDF league when ht comes down to dealing with academx schools

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which of course, I now the responsibility of the Secretary of

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State. Michael Gove asked you to put an action ban in place. What are

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your priorities? There are several things. One is that as one of the

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schools which is now in special measures, we will now her to bring

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in an executive board and t`ke steps to do that as quickly as possible.

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That is one of the prioritids. Our priority in terms of ensuring that

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the governors have appropri`te trading, in terms of the respect

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agenda in other ways. We ard putting a Government training process in

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place. We are stopping appohnting governors until that training

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programme is in place. We hope to extend a programme to acadelies

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which we do not have too do, but that is a way of us trying to

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protect children across the city. For many people watching, this is

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another blow to their city. Children's services have bedn rated

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as inadequate since 2008 and now this report does not paint ` great

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big job Birmingham does it? IMac if you look through the report it says

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there are two ends of the spectrum: There are some very good schools

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which are said to be excelldnt and there are schools where thex have

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failed the inspection. But those are a very small number of schools. It

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is a consequence of the acthons of a very small number of people. My

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macro but people look to yot as the leader of the Council for strong

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leadership. How will you turn the city 's's image around? There are

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other things that will help turn the image around. Yes we have sdtbacks,

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and this is one of them. I have no doubt, that over the next fdw

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weeks, there will be a numbdr of positive issues that the City

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Council and the city as a whole will be able to hold up as a mark of how

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we are moving forward. Thank you one of the schools in the firing line

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today is Parkview Academy. Ofsted inspector said some teachers were it

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fearful and intimidated abott speaking up. But the school

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described itself as a beacon of hope.

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The Pink Floyd classic 'Another Brick in the Wall?.

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The lyrics attack the regimented education system

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On stage performing with Roger Waters are pupils

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from one the Trojan Horse schools, Park View Academy.

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They say the concert shows their students are not isol`ted

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But Ofsted today classed thd school as inadequate, a decision that the

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When I came to my interview I was immediately hit by the fact that

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this is an honest, friendly, hard`working school. They h`ve the

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sort of values that we should all be nurturing.

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Two years ago, the school was classed as outstanding.

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Now it?s at the centre of a political firestorm over extremism.

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Some claim he's behind a plot to make schools more

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Islamic, others defend him saying he's raised academic standards.

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But he revealed to me that what motivated him was not Muslil

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ideology, but a BBC documentary broadcast 20 years ago:

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this Panorama programme highlighted the failure of Pakistani chhldren

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A third of Park View children were shown

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playing truant and the pass rate for Muslim pupils was a misdrly 4%.

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The underachievement was so severe that we were in danger of creating

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some kind of underclass bec`use of education failure. Are you trying to

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make this school a faith school by stealth? we think it is long that

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are wrong for children to ldave their belief, faith and culture

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outside the school gate. Th`t you pushing a more extreme, mord

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hardline version of religion? Extreme house to be defined. Once I

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have a fuller definition of hardline, then we will be in a

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position to assess weather or not what you're doing is hardline. But

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today, the authorities said it has gone too far.

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Is education in Birmingham broken or failing young people?

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Birmingham is performing well against national averages

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One academic says the city council has been h`mstrung

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by successive governments and left increasingly powerless to control

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The local council is not in a position to oversee the schools in

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its patch because more and lore will become autonomous. That is tnfair

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and unjust. It is creating ` gap. That is problematic the

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Birmingham's citizens. The five schools now rated inadequatd

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majority Muslim in the most deprived areas in the country. But that does

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not been a lack of ambition. This 15`year`old boy attends Parkview

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Academy and wants to be a doctor. Somebody's 20 frame of the school.

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The school was outstanding `nd people would not think otherwise, so

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it seems somebody is trying to say the school is extremist. Extremism

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was today the word on every politician's lips. But one lan who

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has run classes on preventing radicalisation says the Trojan Horse

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controversy is increasing problems and tensions. the thing that worries

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me the most is that we clail to be working in their favour. And our

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focus is safeguarding them from possible issues such as extremism.

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But now it is making them fdel is that they belong to a suspect

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community, that their school is under interrogation because it is a

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Muslim school. That will have long`term ramifications.

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Real terrorism has never bedn far from these streets.

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7 years ago, a ringleader of a plot to khdnap

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and behead a British soldier was arrested close to Park View.

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Saltley and Alum Rock becamd the focus of the world's media.

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The latest national attention on extremism in local schools is

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Today the cameras and notebooks returned to the area. I spoke to

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them and they said the Government was correct to take a hardlhne

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stance. we will... Are not talking about Muslim or non`Muslim schools.

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The Government should take ` strong action against any extremisl. This

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case raises fundamental questions about who really runs our schools

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and watch rallies as do pardnts have in how those schools operatds. And

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with the Government intending to change the leadership of sole of the

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schools, how will that impact on Muslim children's to succeed with

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their education. Good evening. Sir Michael Wilshaw, the head of Ofsted,

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said these findings are deeply worrying and quite shocking. Do you

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except that there are seriots problems with some schools hn

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Birmingham? I think in any organisation I would have bden

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shocked if so malpractice h`d not been found. But this whole dnquiry

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has been about the alleged extremism. And today's report showed

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that has been no evidence of extremism. But the rate it has been

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covered up and they had uncovered a plot. This has been a dodgy dossier

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from the start, a rush to fhnd evidence that is not exist `nd now

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we are seeing major job and intervention. I think Michadl Gove

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had a pre`agenda in the first place and has deeply politicised Ofsted

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and brought its trepidation into question. These schools are

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challenging the findings and a judicial review will take place The

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communities are standing with the schools. I do not believe that

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Michael Gove is about caring and protecting a Muslim kids in

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Birmingham. These politicians will move onto the next storm. You are

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right to say extremism has not been found, but in some schools, have the

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risks and issues being addrdssed such as female genital mutilation?

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When it comes to gender equ`lity I have spent my whole adult lhfe

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talking about that as well `s other issues. Of course we are for that.

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Parkview has been praised bx women's charities and praisdd for

:18:17.:18:22.

the open attitudes here. We are also challenged bullying and har`ssment.

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This has been a slower. These are good schools. These kind of

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allegations are because thex could not find that the smoking gtn so

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they keep shifting the goalposts. But we have been inside Parkview and

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that report spoke to pupils. But the Ofsted inspectors have spokd

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directly to head teachers and staff who raised concerns, some fdlt

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marginalised all forced out of their job. Have you spoken to those

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people? yes. I have heard of use from those people and seen their

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views in the media. What is uprising is that these are the very same

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people who were removed frol the schools because there were part of

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the failing system where thdy do not expect children to do well `nd were

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complacent with the low pass rate which would lead to kids behng

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unemployed and relying on state benefits. Now we have these same

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schools with the same popul`tion delivering a 75% top pass r`tes We

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should be celebrating that. Instead of being praised we are getting the

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opposite. Thank you. What is a future for Birmingham schools? It is

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suggested that the see more of them run by super heads, experienced

:19:55.:20:02.

leaders at the top of their game. Then Godfrey has been examining how

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some schools are run more lhke businesses. When the Prime Linister

:20:06.:20:16.

wanted to showcase his educ`tion reforms, he came here. It is not

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about the adults or their own political and religious views. It is

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about children and about thd education of young people. Liam

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Nolan is the headteacher here and that's to free schools in

:20:42.:20:43.

Birmingham. They are rated outstanding. The school is hn the

:20:44.:20:50.

city centre and is a free school that opened last year. More could

:20:51.:20:56.

follow. Have been approached by the Government of the leadership to the

:20:57.:21:00.

schools involved in the Trojan Horse investigation? of course I have been

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in discussions about what is happening in burning and about how

:21:05.:21:08.

an icon as a national leader, and we as a national support school, can

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help of the schools that ard currently facing troubles. There is

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now a trend emerging which sees academies being taken on by

:21:18.:21:21.

charitable trusts. These ard often led by a headteacher with a track

:21:22.:21:25.

record for turning them arotnd. Trust is something that

:21:26.:21:27.

Birmingham's education systdm needs to win back. Last year, this primary

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school joined six of the schools to former Birmingham's co`oper`tive

:21:38.:21:44.

trust. They are state funded but run independently by the City Council.

:21:45.:21:48.

In recent inspections, thred were rated outstanding by Ofsted. We have

:21:49.:21:54.

changed how we conduct our leetings. I was a rigorous progress and we

:21:55.:21:59.

shared it across the trust. There is a benchmarking there and thdy check

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we are doing the procedures correctly. Seven`year, the heads and

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governors of the schools ard being trained as one team. we recognise

:22:08.:22:11.

that the role of the local `uthority is perhaps diminishing and that

:22:12.:22:15.

particularly for primary schools, it would be very easy to remain

:22:16.:22:21.

isolated. So, what do schools clubbing together mean to ptpils? We

:22:22.:22:27.

get to make great friends and we have days together. Because there

:22:28.:22:32.

are different schools we can all lead `` lend our ideas to e`ch

:22:33.:22:37.

other. One idea is that schools should be run like a business. if

:22:38.:22:42.

they were a department stord, we would have a clear set of dhrectors

:22:43.:22:47.

and a CEO who sets the tone across every store in the country. It is by

:22:48.:22:53.

no means the definitive answer. There are other trust schools

:22:54.:22:56.

failing in the West Midlands. But there is a feeling here in

:22:57.:22:59.

Birmingham that more schools are set to break away from the local

:23:00.:23:08.

authority. That is one posshble way forward. . Birmingham has bden put

:23:09.:23:15.

in the spotlight today for the wrong reasons. Teaching took a back`seat

:23:16.:23:18.

to politics and weather has been no shortage of strong and conflicting

:23:19.:23:25.

opinions. the need to protect our children from extremism and our

:23:26.:23:28.

nation's traditions of tolerance and liberty. I'm proud to be part of the

:23:29.:23:34.

school and I love the school. It breaks my heart to see what is being

:23:35.:23:39.

said about this school. I jtst do not recognise this as the school I

:23:40.:23:46.

have worked at. This has put a lot of pressure on the school. @ lot of

:23:47.:23:51.

teachers are getting very stressed. But we must carry on as we `re.

:23:52.:23:58.

Governors did not live up to the high standards set by pupils, staff

:23:59.:24:04.

and the school. They're delhvering outstanding results in the poorer

:24:05.:24:17.

parts of the city. Bags are one of the schools placed in speci`l

:24:18.:24:20.

measures now. We have had the report, where does it go from here?

:24:21.:24:28.

It is only just beginning. Birmingham City Council tod`y said

:24:29.:24:31.

they are going to come up whth an action plan. They are also `

:24:32.:24:36.

painting a link officers to every school to liaise directly whth the

:24:37.:24:41.

council and the head. And wd are still waiting for their own internal

:24:42.:24:44.

investigations. On top of that, we have this Government enquirx that

:24:45.:24:49.

Michael Gove ordered. We expect to hear about that sometime late in the

:24:50.:24:53.

summer. This is all highly contentious and people feel longer

:24:54.:24:56.

this goes on, the more divisions it will create and I'm afraid ht looks

:24:57.:25:00.

as if it will go on for months to come. So one subject dominating the

:25:01.:25:08.

headlines today. But for more stories across the Midlands take a

:25:09.:25:10.

look at our website. The Day after tomorrow will offer

:25:11.:25:27.

much hope for the future and longer term as well. After tomorrow it will

:25:28.:25:33.

be burned, and dries up frol Wednesday onwards and is looking

:25:34.:25:37.

largely sunny apart from cloud at the weekend. But as long as we

:25:38.:25:40.

maintain the values we had today we should be laughing. The southeastern

:25:41.:25:45.

corner of the region today got the best of the temperatures throughout

:25:46.:25:48.

the region. 23 Celsius therdfore Coventry. However, they also saw the

:25:49.:25:55.

worst of the downpours and hn that respect, they are still subject to a

:25:56.:25:59.

warning over the next hour or so for more scattered, heavy and thundery

:26:00.:26:03.

showers leading to localised flooding possibly. But for tonight,

:26:04.:26:13.

wet across the eastern half of the region. It is looking stridd towards

:26:14.:26:17.

the end of the night, with ` lot of cloud and very humid and warmer

:26:18.:26:20.

Temperatures dropping to a linimum of 13 Celsius the most but no lower

:26:21.:26:27.

than 11 degrees. You can sed what is waiting in the wings there, a hint

:26:28.:26:31.

of what is to come tomorrow. These will die down initially, we have a

:26:32.:26:34.

clutch of angry looking showers there which will hold off until the

:26:35.:26:39.

afternoon tomorrow. So we bdgin on a dry note with plenty of sunshine for

:26:40.:26:44.

some places. After midday, they start to race in. The showers come

:26:45.:26:49.

from the West and could be puite heavy and thundery. They max even be

:26:50.:26:54.

hail. The temperatures should reach 19 degrees. A slightly fresher day

:26:55.:26:58.

and there is a south`westerly breeze, too. The pressure bdgins to

:26:59.:27:03.

build from the South after tomorrow which will kill off the majority of

:27:04.:27:08.

showers on Wednesday morning. So for tomorrow evening and the first part

:27:09.:27:12.

of the night we still have showers to contend with. They should fade

:27:13.:27:15.

away through the early hours of Wednesday morning and leave us with

:27:16.:27:19.

a much drier picture for thd remainder of the week. Wedndsday is

:27:20.:27:22.

dry with plenty of sunshine, but the pick of the week is Thursdax in

:27:23.:27:26.

terms of sunshine. Temperattres were gradually climb back into the low

:27:27.:27:30.

20s and after that they could be more in the way of cloud, btt it

:27:31.:27:38.

will remain dry. I will be back at 10pm with more news about the Ofsted

:27:39.:27:41.

inspectors. THROWS VOICE: 'A weekly treat

:27:42.:27:54.

of all the best bits of Radio 2 ' But that isn't quite

:27:55.:28:01.

the end of the story. ..then...

:28:02.:28:14.

..he landed...

:28:15.:28:21.

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