City's academy scheme under fire

Plans to create an educational academy at a once-troubled Leeds school will create more uncertainty and hinder hard-won improvements, a union said.

Education officials in the city want to replace South Leeds High School with the South Leeds Academy.

The high school was formed by the merger of two inner city schools in 2004 with resulting racial tensions.

But the National Union of Teachers said "stability, not change" was needed at the site to continue improvements.

South Leeds High School was formed by the merger of Matthew Murray and Merlyn Rees High Schools in the south of the city in 2004.

But although the new school had one name, its pupils were at first integrated and taught at the two sites of the original schools.

"Through the academy we'll be able to achieve our mission in south Leeds"
Colin Bell, head teacher
South Leeds High School

As those pupils mixed, a series of mass brawls at one of the sites saw police in protective gear deployed.

In September 2006 the pupils at both sites moved to the new purpose-built South Leeds High School on Oldrun Road.

It is at that site that Education Leeds wants to create the South Leeds Academy.

And the Garforth-based east Leeds Schools Partnership Trust has expressed an interest in establishing the academy, drawing on its success at Garforth Community College, Ninelands Primary School and other educational establishments in the area.

Colin Bell, head teacher at South Leeds High School, said: "These plans are all about continuing to improve the education of youngsters in this part of Leeds.

"A lot of good work has been going on over the last few years, but we need to do more and keep up the pace of change.

"Through the academy we'll be able to achieve our mission in south Leeds."

But the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said it did not believe further changes would offer any benefits to staff or pupils.

Patrick Murphy, the secretary of the Leeds branch of the NUT, said: "In the case of the South Leeds plan we agree with the parents and staff that the very last thing this school needs is a period of change.

"They need support to help build on the improvements the school has made since being set up."

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