If you are a London parent and you have concerns about the leadership at your child’s school, who do you turn to?

As parents turn their minds to the annual stock-up on pencils, pens and PE kits, this question will be going through the minds of many mums and dads – especially as it is difficult to open a paper or news site without seeing worrying stories about failing standards, or financial irregularities in schools.

The reality is that the vast majority of schools are well run. But under the new system, if your child is at a free school or academy, what do you do if there is a problem? The answer is vague at best.

In a poll of parents released today by London Councils and YouGov, 41 per cent said they would turn to their local authority first if they had concerns about a school’s governance, compared to 28 per cent who said Ofsted and only four per cent who said central government.

Although it clearly makes sense to parents to turn to their local authority, perhaps through their neighbourhood councillor, under the muddled new system, councils have no formal role over governance or leadership issues in free schools and academies. This means they cannot act directly, even if a worried mum or dad gets in touch.

Ofsted has some formal powers, but lacks local knowledge. Likewise, can somebody in the Department for Education really oversee every school in the land from behind a Whitehall desk?

No wonder parents are confused.

Equally, as the squeeze on school places in the capital increases, parents increasingly support a council role in directly influencing local free schools and academies to expand, which we cannot do at present: 81 per cent of parents said this in our survey, up from 76 per cent last year.

Council leaders should not be telling heads how to run the day-to-day of their schools. But it is right that councils have powers to intervene on behalf of parents on the big issues.

The government has proposed regional school commissioners as the answer. But under the current confused plans, London will be chopped up arbitrarily and one commissioner will be responsible for an unwieldy system that spans from inner-city Hackney to rural Norfolk.

This is hardly the kind of coordinated system that London needs to create schools that compete with Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

You need only look at the success of London’s schools to see the positive role councils can play in education, acting on behalf of parents.

In a recent and thorough analysis, the Centre for London highlighted key reasons why London’s schools are world-leading. As well as a rigorous focus on data and a culture of accountability the thinktank suggested that the importance of professional, collaborative working between councils and schools was vital in driving up standards.

But there is no room for complacency: these successes are at real risk if there are not effective measures in place. The government should listen to parents and allow councils to intervene on behalf of parents – not only where there is a problem with leadership, but also to influence free schools and academies to expand to meet demand. Sensible council influence can ensure there is a place for everyone in a well-governed school, committed to the highest educational standards.

———————————

Peter John is the leader of Southwark council and London Councils’ executive member for children and young people

———————————

Photo: ppix