A previous protest at the school
(Picture: Twitter)The Department for Education has given the green light for Holland Park School to join the country’s biggest academy chain despite a major campaign against the move.
The school, known as the Socialist Eton, will join United Learning after a final decision was taken by schools minister Baroness Barran.
In a letter to parents seen by the Evening Standard, regional schools director Kate Dethridge said United Learning would “bring to bear significant resource and capacity” to support the troubled west London school which was recently downgraded to “inadequate” by Ofsted.
A group of Holland Park parents have been campaigning against the move, a judicial review has been launched over the consultation and teachers have staged a series of strikes in protest against it.
Nearby school Kensington Aldridge Academy had offered to help Holland Park School, and Kensington and Chelsea council offered £1million in support of the bid.
But in her letter Dame Kate said: “I know there was support for Kensington Aldridge Academy (KAA) as an option, however, although KAA is an outstanding school it does not currently have experience of improving a school with an ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted judgement. I want to acknowledge the excellent work that KAA do.”
Holland Park has repeatedly been in the headlines after whistleblowers revealed a “toxic” culture last summer, sparking a board shakeup, government intervention and damning independent probe.
Dame Kate’s letter does not spell out the date for the transfer to United Learning, but says the trust will provide support “from September.”
It said: “This has been a turbulent year for students at HPS, following on from two years of disruption as a result of Covid. We all want the best for the students at HPS and I hope that as we approach the new academic year, we can work together to return HPS to a calm and stable footing and ensure that the students at HPS get the excellent education they deserve.”
A spokesman for Holland Park School said: “Although we understand that some stakeholders will be disappointed by this decision, we hope that all can now come together to support the school in the best interests of the students.”
