School 'crisis' deepens as all governors are dismissed by email

In a shock turn of events, the governors of Melksham Oak School have all been dismissed by the multi academy trust which runs the school.

One governor said he was “aghast” by the decision and that he is “really, really worried” by the direction the school is going, saying it is shutting down any scrutiny of its actions.

The governors – who made up the school’s Local Governance Committee – were told they were being dismissed in an email sent on Friday afternoon, sparking concerns and questions throughout the community.

The White Horse Federation, the multi academy trust which runs the school, say the governors have been replaced by “a small group of Interim Academy Board (IAB) members who can meet more often and have a focussed approach to the school’s priorities.”

The move follows heavy criticism of the academy in recent months from parents over its running of the school including concerns over staff shortages, cancelled lessons, poor communication between the school and parents and the high number of detentions being given.

After being approached by Melksham News for his reaction, Jon Hubbard, one of the governors dismissed on Friday said, “I’m aghast at their actions; they obviously just want to shut down any scrutiny of what is going on and have sacked the governing board for asking difficult questions.

“But it only draws more attention to the issues at the school and how it’s being run by the academy trust.

“Along with a lot of parents, I’m very concerned about the direction of the school; the number of detentions and exclusions has skyrocketed, particularly among SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) students; the stories we hear about detentions for the most ridiculous issues beggar belief. And the fact that those who were there to oversee and challenge these issues have been told they are no longer welcome, only demonstrates that the school believes it has something to hide.

“Removing a whole governing body is unprecedented; it’s something I’ve never heard of before. And there was no explanation of why it was deemed necessary. We just had a letter by email on Friday with no other explanation. All the trust said was they are appointing a new hand-picked team.

“I am really, really worried about this as it is just the school saying, ‘We don’t want anyone looking in on what we are doing’ which is the whole point of the governing board. The role of governors is to scrutinise; that what we are there to do.

“So many questions come out of this, it is quite horrific.

I am worried now that the community will have no input into the running of the school.

“Wiltshire Council don’t actually have much control over the school because it is an academy trust, but maybe we need to be speaking to the Regional School Commissioner who is a representative of the Department of Education, to say we are concerned about what is going on at Melksham Oak.”

Melksham News sent the following questions to The White Horse Federation. Their response in full is below.

How is an Interim Academy Board any different from the current arrangement of Governors of the school?
Is this a case of WHF just silencing critics and bringing in their own handpicked people?
In the letter sent it says that an IAB ‘who can meet more often and have a focussed approach to the school’s priorities, is now considered to be appropriate’. – Does this mean that the WHF do not believe the previous governors were focussed on the school’s priorities?
Why were governors given no notice and stepped down with immediate effect with no alternative being in place already?
Who are responsible for governance currently, given the IAB isn’t in place and the governors have been dismissed?
When will the IAB be in place?
Do WHF feel they have treated the governors poorly, given they have given up their time to help support the school only to be summarily dismissed?
How does WHF respond to the accusation by one former governor that WHF are “Sacking the governing board presumedly for asking too many difficult questions?”

A spokesperson from The White Horse Federation replied:

“Our Interim Academy Board has been created so that a smaller group of governors can meet more frequently and focus on supporting rapid school improvement, in line with our school development priorities. The IAB comprises a parent representative, a trustee and an external governor for an additional independent view.

“We are very grateful to our previous governors for their commitment and we have invited them to complete a skills audit so they can be considered for other governance roles.”

In its letter to the governors on Friday the academy said, “It has become evident that there is a need for a revised Governor Action Plan to align with the updated School Development Plan. While we appreciate your past contributions and dedication to the governance at the school, a change to a small group of Interim Academy Board (IAB) members, who can meet more often and have a focussed approach to the school’s priorities, is now considered to be appropriate.

“In the light of this The Trustees have decided that the current Local Governance Committee (LGC) will be stood down. This decision is not a criticism of previous governance but is a short term, positive step to ensure that governance monitoring, support and challenge can be as efficient and rapid as possible to enhance future development at the school.

“This letter therefore gives notice to the LGC, that they will be stepped down from their governor roles with effect from 19 April 2024.”

In January, local MP Michelle Donelan had a meeting with Paul Smith, chief executive officer of the White Horse Federation to discuss the issues at the school following parents’ concerns.

Following these latest developments, she said, “Parents have raised concerns with me about some of the actions taken by the school leadership and I know the local governors have worked to support the school, and are surprised that this decision has been made. My priority, and the priority of all parents and staff at the school remains to ensure a great education for the pupils, who have always been a joy to visit. I have requested another meeting with the Head to discuss the latest developments.”

According to Wiltshire Council, “School governors play a vital role in education. The governing board plans the strategic direction of a school, makes sure public money is well spent, and holds school leadership to account. A strong governing board ensures robust debate, which in turn leads to better educational outcomes for children.”