TEXT FROM PROTESTERS CAMPAIGN LEAFLET:

Despite overwhelming opposition by parents, students and staff, Westminster is pushing ahead with its plans to turn Pimlico into a City Academy. Westminster plans to hand the school to a sponsor called Future, a charity set up by venture capitalist John Nash. In return for an investment of only 2 million pounds Westminster intends to sell Future a brand new 35 million pound school and a site worth many millions, on a 125-year lease!

The Academy can:
a) Impose a new head teacher without consultation with parents and staff.
b) Change (i.e. worsen) the pay and conditions of teaching and non-teaching staff.
c) Appoint the governing body with only token parent and staff representation.
d) As a result all democratic accountability is lost.
e) Change future admissions criteria.
f) Operate outside the education law.
g) Opt out of key aspects of the national curriculum.

Academies in Westminster have been a disaster, consistently failing to live up to any of their promises. They have seen 70% of staff leave, and experienced (“expensive”) replaced by inexperienced staff on short-term contracts.

JOHN NASH and FUTURE
In his bid to take over Pimlico School, John Nash appears to be making use of his close links with the Conservative group that controls Westminster council. He is a party donor and has sat on various policy review bodies with Westminster Councillors.

FUTURE gives grants to organizations involved in supplementary extra-curricular activities.

FUTURE has no experience of running a large inner city comprehensive secondary school.

The Save Pimlico School Campaign intends to fight these plans at every opportunity.

We need your help to defeat them. Our website is: www.pimlicopsa.org.uk