The battle for The King’s School is over, and Labour has lost. As reported in today’s Newcastle Chronicle, North Tyneside Council met yesterday and voted against pursuing a judicial review of the new Kings Priory Academy in Tynemouth. After threatening to halt the merger of the independent King’s School and state Priory Primary School since May, the council has accepted that it is on the wrong side of parents and the local community.
The council is not celebrating the arrival of a new state school. The Labour mayor of North Tyneside, Norma Redfearn, said of the decision:
‘I have been in education for years and I can’t believe how this process has taken place. I have never known two governing bodies get together and plan secretly’
Redfearn’s remarks demonstrate her lack of understanding of Michael Gove’s academy programme. Parents and governing bodies are supposed to get together and plan new schools, away from the tentacles of the local authority .
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