Troubled Stockland Green joins in ‘federated’ school scheme
Jun 17 2009 by Tony Collins, Birmingham Post
A secondary school still under investigation over alleged financial irregularities is to be joined with another school in Sutton Coldfield under a pioneering Government scheme.
Stockland Green Technology College in Slade Road, Erdington, has been named by education ministers as a National Challenge Trust School.
It will be “federated” with The Arthur Terry School in Sutton Coldfield under a single governing body and with Arthur Terry head Christopher Stone taking over the running of both schools.
Stockland Green will also receive up to £750,000 from the Government, which will go towards producing a school improvement plan.
Stockland Green is being investigated by Birmingham City Council auditors following claims that large sums of money could not be accounted for in the budget.
A source said a number of staff from Stockland Green had gone to the local authority over allegations of financial irregularity. One claim suggested a leaving party planned for a top city centre venue had been scrapped as it would have cost £10,000.
Head teacher Andy Arnott has since left Stockland Green under a compromise agreement with the local authority. Neil Wallace, from Arthur Terry, has taken over as acting head.
A Birmingham City Council spokesman said the audit investigation is entering its final stages and is due to be concluded soon.
He added: “The governing bodies of Arthur Terry School and Stockland Green School are consulting on a joint proposal to federate under a single governing body.
“Andy Arnott stepped down from his post at the end of April. Neil Wallace has taken over as acting head teacher at Stockland Green.
“Neil is from Arthur Terry School and he is working in conjunction with Chris Stone, head teacher of Arthur Terry and federative head teacher of the two schools. It is expected that the new, federated governing body will be in place early in the autumn term.”
National Challenge Trust status is one of the Government’s preferred options, along with academies, for turning around struggling secondary schools.
Only 15 per cent of Stockland Green pupils achieved five or more top-grade GCSEs including English and maths compared with the Government’s target of 30 per cent.
Letters have gone out from Schools Secretary Ed Balls to all local authorities, including Birmingham, which have schools with low GCSE attainment, calling on them to consider all options to accelerate improvements.
A Department for Children, Schools and Families spokesman said: “Stockland Green is ahead of the game as National Challenge Trust status has already been put through as the solution.”
She said the school would federate with Arthur Terry under a single head and governing body with the aim of strengthening leadership.
