Council holds review into troubled Brighton school

A review has been held today into concerns raised by parents and staff at a Brighton school where half the staff and the whole PTA have quit.

The new head of Stanford Junior School has been under fire from teachers and parents who claim classroom morale is plummeting.

Since Paul Davis took over the helm in September 2014, about half the staff have left, pupil applications are down by more than 20% and last month the whole PTA quit following a stormy meeting.

Last week, the council told Brighton and Hove News it was working with the school to address the issues, and today a review was carried out.

In a letter sent to parents last week, chair of governors Shelley Baker said: “We are very aware of the concerns that have been raised by a number of parents and carers about the school’s priorities and how they are being addressed.

I want to reassure you, as chair of governors, that the full governing body, the school leadership team and staff are passionate and committed to delivering the best possible experiences for all children at Stanford.

“For us this means continuing to improve academic standards through a holistic approach that allows children to grow and develop in a safe, nurturing and creative environment.

“We are working alongside the local authority and our headteacher to address the concerns that have been raised and the local authority will be leading a review of the school on Monday, 23 May.

“This will cover a range of areas of school life and the team will be seeking the views of parents, children and staff as part f the process.

“I am saddened that the school’s PTA no longer feels able to carry on their work, but would like to underline that we take the views of our parents and carers very seriously indeed and want to move forward to rebuild our strong community for the benefit of our children, their learning and well being.”