A TEACHER at Brentford School for Girls says morale is low due to the threat of staff redundancies and the lack of a permanent head.
The Chronicle has learned that the school has been without a permanent head for several months, since previous head Julie Tomkins was ousted after a long period of sickness, and an 'executive headteacher' was installed in her place.
And now staff at the Boston Manor Road school are fearing for their jobs after it was revealed that up to seven teachers could go as part of a cost restructure to fund the building of a theatre.
The teacher, who asked us not to reveal their identity, said: "Morale is so low at the moment. They are excusing what they are doing by saying they need to get the school out of 'satisfactory' and into 'good' for their next Ofsted report, but we can't see how they are going to improve by having fewer teachers which will lead to larger class sizes and over-worked staff. The school seems to be presenting a front to the parents that everything is hunky dory. This is a breach of trust."
Teachers at the school are said to be considering strike action after consulting with their union.
A statement on the school's website confirmed: "The school needs to have sufficient flexibility in its budget to finish paying for the new theatre build and to fund our priorities over the next few years. We sadly need to lose some posts and to lose the expense of some leadership and management allowances. The number of posts which will be affected at this stage is unknown."
All staff are to find out if their position is secure by May 31 and the changes are due to take place in September.
A council spokesman said: “There is a current consultation on proposed changes to the staffing structure which includes potential redundancies. The closing date of the consultation is Friday (March 11). The council believes that the consultation is appropriate and has been properly conducted by the governors with the executive headteacher."
