Heartsease high school
"This an improving school and there is no evidence whatsoever that it will improve just because it adopts a Christian ethos. There seems to be a whole gang of evangelical Christians in Norwich, among them Graham Dacre and the Bishop of Norwich, not motivated by education but by indoctrination." Ian Gibson, the Labour MP for Norwich north
Onward Christian sponsors (7 Apr 06) Car dealer Graham Dacre is the latest rich believer to back an academy, prompting renewed claims of 'indoctrination'. Graeme Paton reports
Christian Car Dealers Want Their Religion Foisted On Kids In School Whitehall officials have been in talks with Mr Dacre – founder of the Lind Automotive Group and the charitable Lind Trust – and the Bishop of Norwich about creating a new academy on the site of Heartsease High. The proposals would see Mr Dacre and the Norwich Diocese invest £2m in creating the new academy – in return for influence over the schools admissions policy, curriculum and governing ethos – while the taxpayer would provide the other £20m required to build the school, and thereafter all running costs.
Heartsease school to get academy status (16 Sept) Government chiefs have backed controversial plans to open the first Academy School in Norwich, the Evening News can reveal.
Leaked letters from bosses at the Department for Education and Skills have described proposals to turn Heartsease High School into an academy as the “most suitable” way forward for it.
In the letters, Lord Andrew Adonis, parliamentary under-secretary of state for schools, agrees to release funding for the plans to be developed further and a formal consultation to be launched on the proposal.
Today, Norwich North MP Dr Ian Gibson, slammed the move, which would see £2m stumped up by the private sector who would be given power to run the school, thus securing more than £20m in Government funding.
He has called for school governors, community leaders and families to join in a last bid to stop the move.
He said: “It looks like game, set and match and the only people who could prevent it now are the parents and governors.
“We really need to have an open debate in Heartsease about what this really means.
“I am hoping other councillors will come out against this and that I can bring up from London people who have first hand experience of the dangers of a school like this.”
The proposals would see a private trust set up to run the school. It would have an influence over admissions, policy, curriculum and governing ethos, removing the school from Norfolk County Council control. But, until recently the Heartsease academy bid had looked in jeopardy after problems with academies elsewhere in the country and following increased condemnation of the move.