Parents At Sunderland Free School 'Kept In The Dark'

Campaigners behind a Sunderland free school say they're being kept in the dark over its future. It's after Grindon Hall Christian School was placed in special measures by Ofsted. The Department for Education says its now considering bringing in Bright Tribe to support them. Richard Vardie is chairman of the parent council and told Metro Radio they are unsure about the school's future; "It really does depend on which sponsor, and what the package entails. It has to be the right fit, we've done a consultation amongst parents and we've asked parents what they think are the key aspects of the school, why they went to the school in the first place. It's about preserving what really works about the school and identifying problems, such as finance, and rectifying those". We've spoke to the Department for Education who say; "Grindon Hall Christian School was placed in special measures in January following an Ofsted report that found issues with leadership, the quality of learning and safeguarding. It is also subject to two financial notices to improve. The Regional Schools Commissioner is seriously concerned about the school and has been exploring options for future sponsorship, including Bright Tribe, to provide the strong skills in financial management and governance required to bring about swift improvements.

Every pupil deserves an excellent education and no parent should have to be content with their child spending a single day in a failing school. It is one of the great strengths of the free school programme that we can identify and deal with failure quickly, in a way that is not possible in all schools.”