Governors at a school placed in special measures over the alleged hardline Muslim plot to take over governing boards have resigned in protest, calling the Ofsted report "flawed". Board members at Saltley School said they "have been left with little faith or trust" in the inspection process or Birmingham City Council in the fall-out over the Trojan Horse allegations.
The city council said the governors were due to be replaced in due course anyway following the school's "inadequate" Ofsted rating in a report published earlier this month. Out-going board members criticised the Ofsted inspectors for not clearly concluding whether there was an "Islamic agenda" or not in the school's classrooms.
In their statement, entitled their "final response" on the matter, the governors said: "It is the Governors' view that the inspection and the report are flawed." Saltley School, which has about 950 pupils, was among 21 city schools inspected by Ofsted as part of the Trojan Horse claims.
Of those, five were rated inadequate and placed in special measures, including four academies which are overseen by the Department For Education (DfE), together with Saltley for which the city council is responsible. One school was already in special measures, 10 more were told to make improvements, and three schools were given a clean bill of health.
The report into Saltley found governance to be "inadequate", concluding "many of the governors refuse to accept the school is in a state of crisis". The Saltley governors said: "Though we have challenged both the way the Ofsted inspection was carried out and the conclusions it came to, the governing board has no resources to take this further. Therefore we have decided to resign in protest."
The statement concluded by wishing the secondary school's students "every success".
Ofsted has said it has full confidence in its processes and the inspections carried out. A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: "We had made clear our intention to work with the school and the DfE to seek to put in place an interim executive board as part of the response to the school being placed in special measures.
"We share the commitment of the outgoing governors to the success of young people in Saltley school and are very determined to see this school return to being the good school it once was as quickly as possible."
The Trojan Horse claims originally stemmed from an anonymous and unsigned letter sent to the media, unions and the council alleging there was a plot by hardline Muslims called "Operation Trojan Horse", to take over school governing bodies in the city and force out unco-operative staff.
The saga has triggered four inquiries, including on-going investigations by the DfE and the city council, and even sparked a political row in the cabinet. In the aftermath, Prime Minister David Cameron has backed the promotion of "British values" in schools. A public meeting is being held in the city next week for the parents and communities affected by the fall-out from Trojan Horse, with former chief education officer for Birmingham and London schools commissioner Sir Tim Brighouse due to speak.
Here's a handy timeline of the scandal.
Operation Trojan Horse: Timeline
'Islamic takeover plot' in Birmingham schools alleged(01 of12)
Open Image ModalAn alleged plot to oust Birmingham head teachers and make their schools adhere to Islamic principles, dubbed "Operation Trojan Horse", is apparently revealed in a letter seen by the council.These schools are Adderley Primary, Saltley School, Park View School and Regents Park Community Primary School.It said Muslim parents could be encouraged to turn against the leadership team at their child's school if they are told the school is "corrupting their children with sex education, teaching about homosexuals, making their children pray Christian prayers and [carrying out] mixed swimming and sport".It also said non-Muslims teachers could be forced out of the school and gender segregation enforced.The letter claims it has "caused a great amount of organised disruption in Birmingham and as a result we have our own academies and are on the way to getting rid of more head teachers and taking over their schools". (credit:PA)
Letter investigated by counter-terrorism and local council(02 of12)
Open Image ModalThe Department for Education'Extremist Unit, Birmingham Council and the West Midlands Police Counter-Terrorism Unit confirmed on March 7th that they are looking into the case, and that they were handed the letter in December 2013.
Schools reject claims of a plot(03 of12)
Open Image ModalDavid Hughes, a trustee and governor of Park View School for more than 15 years, said on April 10 the secondary was the target of a "witch hunt" and the inspection was "under the pretext of concerns about extremism".But two members of staff at Park View Academy claimed a senior colleague had praised senior Al-Qaeda figure Anwar al-Awlaki during assemblies.It also emerged that the Education Funding Agency had also launched a probe into the school over the misuse of public funds to pay £70,000 for loudspeakers to play the Muslim call to prayer. (credit:PA)
Cameron backs investigation(04 of12)
Open Image ModalThe Prime Minister backed Ofsted to deal with the “Trojan Horse” school probe. The inspection body will go on to spring surprise inspections on the schools in question. (credit:Getty Images)
Is the problem widespread?(05 of12)
Open Image ModalOn April 14, Birmingham City Council confirmed that it had received over 200 reports from parents and staff at 25 schools in Birmingham. Concerns are also raised by the National Association of Head Teachers about schools in parts of East London and other "large cities around the country". (credit:PA)
Labour says it would appoint standards commissioner to stop extremists in schools(06 of12)
Open Image ModalOn May 1st, Labour says it is planning dramatic reforms to the schools system to ensure they cannot be taken over by extremists.Councils would appoint an ‘Independent Director of School Standards’ to monitor schools, according to plans drawn up by David Blunkett, the former Education Secretary who is now advising Labour leader Ed Miliband. (credit:PA)
Department of Education sources brief against Home Office(07 of12)
Open Image ModalSensational quotes attributed to a Department for Education source in The Times on June 4th detail Michael Gove's concerns about the Home Office's approach to tackling extremism.The source quoted in the Times said: "Charles Farr [the former intelligence chief who runs the office for security and counter terrorism] always believed if extremists become violent we should deal with it. "It has been characterised by others in government as just beating back the crocodiles that come close to the boat rather than draining the swamp." (credit:PA)
Home Office vs Department Of Education(08 of12)
Open Image ModalBut Mrs May's camp hit back, with a Home Office source telling The Times: "Why is the DfE wanting to blame other people for information they had in 2010? Lord knows what more they have overlooked on the subject of the protection of kids in state schools? It scares me." (credit:PA)
Home Office releases furious letter to Gove, then quietly deletes it(09 of12)
Open Image ModalA letter from May to the Department of Education attacking her cabinet colleague for failing to tackle Islamic extremism in schools is published on the Home Office website at 2am. But then is quietly deleted. Its publication is attributed to May aide Fiona Cunningham, the partner of Charles Farr. Cabinet correspondence is usually done in private. (credit:PA)
Break it up!(10 of12)
Open Image ModalOn June 5, Cameron orders Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood to investigate the row between May and Gove. (credit:Getty Images)
School inspection report leaked(11 of12)
Open Image ModalOfsted is set to publish its reports on Birmingham schools at the centre of claims about an Islamist takeover plot on Monday 9th. But a report is leaked to the Guardian on June 7th. Park View Academy, which only two years ago was given Ofsted's highest rating of outstanding, will be downgraded according to a leaked copy of the latest inspection report.The school's managing trust has issued a statement rejecting the findings, saying inspectors have misrepresented the facts, adding there was "no suggestion" in the report of extremism being present in classrooms.The academy in Alum Rock in Birmingham has been the focus of allegations made in the original letter.The academy is among three schools run by Park View Educational Trust (PVET), including Golden Hillock School in Sparkhill, which the week before had revealed it is set to be placed in special measures. (credit:PA)
Gove apologises, May aide quits(12 of12)
Open Image Modal