Troubled Al-Madinah free school gets new headteacher

The Al-Madinah school is named after one of Islam’s holiest cities. And yet for weeks, it has been embroiled in the unholiest of row:; branded inadequate, chaotic and dysfunctional.

On Friday, after weeks of turmoil, we were finally given an announcement on its future.

Lord Nash, the schools minister, has confirmed the story we reported on Tuesday – that a new headteacher will be brought in to work with the school and that the trustees have agreed to resign.

Lord Nash has written to the chair of governors, Shazia Parveen, to say he is “not satisfied that you have demonstrated a strong basis for the transformation required at the school”.

The minister had originally given the governors a month to respond to a series of criticisms made in a damning Ofsted report. He now feels that satisfactory progress has not been made.

Lors Nash writes: “I have decided that the needs of the pupils at Al-Madinah school would be best served by bringing in a more experienced trust with the skills and capability required to deliver the improvements needed at the school.

“To that end, I have asked Barry Day, chief executive of the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust, to start work with you. You and your fellow trustees have agreed to resign in due course.”

As we reported earlier this week, Barry Day’s trust runs 22 academies, employs 1,500 staff and is responsible for well over 10,000 pupils and 1,500 staff. As a multi-academy sponsor, they take on schools in challenging circumstances or under “special measures” from Ofsted, some would say controversially. Mr Day has been praised by Michael Gove and was awarded an OBE in 2007.

‘Action plan’

In a statement, Mr Day said: “This is all about the safety and quality of education of pupils in the school. We want to work closely with the school community to determine an action plan to deliver the improvements required by Ofsted and Lord Nash.”

It still may take some time for the changes to go through, as there are administrative and contractual details regarding the running of free schools that will have to be dealt with.

The decision will be welcomed by some parents, who have been worried about all the controversy and media attention on the school. However, other parents have been extremely supportive of the governors and told me they feel the school has been unfailry targeted.

The school was established with the full backing of Derby’s Muslim community, many of whom felt their children were not being served by existing schools.

The key question for them now will be whether it will still be run with a Muslim ethos. None of Mr Day’s 22 academies is faith-based.

In a statement to Channel 4 News, Shazia Parveen, chair of the board of governors, said: “The trust will ensure that the transition of Al-Madinah is smooth and the ethos of the faith-designated school remains secure.”