Public meeting will hear parents’ concerns about two Cornish schools
A town mayor has arranged a public meeting to allow worried parents to air their concerns about two of the strictest schools in Cornwall.
Cllr James Ball, who is Mayor of Camborne and represents Camborne Roskear & Tuckingmill division on Cornwall Council, has called the meeting later this month after being contacted by around 50 parents who have raised concerns about Camborne Science and International Academy (CSIA) and Pool Academy, which are both run by the Athena Learning Trust.
CSIA and other schools in the trust have been in the spotlight over the past few years for their strict rules, with some parents saying children with special needs in particular are falling victim to the schools’ regimes.
Athena also runs Launceston College, Altarnun, Egloskerry and Launceston primary schools and schools across Devon.
Cllr Ball says the meeting at Holmans Social Club, Camborne, on Wednesday, February 25 will give him the chance to get the perspective of parents before he holds a meeting with the heads of both schools, their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) representatives, the chair of Athena as well as the area’s GPs, which he hopes will take place in early March.
He said: “Due to the response I have had surrounding the secondary schools I have decided to call a public meeting. If I were to meet everyone individually it would take me weeks.
“There will not be full answers to any issues. I need to gather information. This will not be an attack meeting, we need to work constructively.”
Cllr Ball told us: “When I started this, I didn’t think it would be this big – it’s massive. I have been contacted by about 50 parents. It’s a case of now working with the schools and the parents constructively to get everyone’s voices heard.”
He added that issues raised by parents include behaviour and suspensions, SEND provision and issues with education, health and care plans (EHCP).
“There’s some confusion about what the schools will do and what the parents expect the schools to do,” said Cllr Ball. “It’s a complicated issue with many parents feeling their children are falling through the net for various reasons.
“I think there are quite a few parents who feel their voices aren’t being heard and their children are being let down. The most important thing in all this is that we’re there for the young people.”
A total of 2,967 suspensions were handed out at Camborne Science and International Academy in the 2023/24 academic year, according to figures released by the Department for Education last year.
That works out as nearly 16 a day, based on a standard 190-day school year, and was the second highest number of any school in England.
Two other Athena schools were in the second and third positions in Cornwall. Launceston College had the second highest number with 1,418 suspensions, which works out at the equivalent of seven and a half a day, while Pool Academy had the third highest total with 1,033 (more than five and a half a day).
The school handing out the most suspensions was in Yorkshire. A total of 3,174 suspensions were handed out at the Co-op Academy Grange in Bradford in the 2023/24 academic year – the only school higher than CSIA.
A Facebook page dedicated to complaints about CSIA, Pool Academy and the Athena trust has 2,400 members.
A spokesperson for Pool Academy and CSIA said: “Our schools care deeply about the wellbeing and happiness of every young person and we recognise how important it is for parents and carers to feel heard and supported.
“If families have any concerns about their child and their experiences at school, we always encourage them to come to us directly. That way, we can work together quickly and sensitively to help them.
“We value our partnerships with parents, carers and other local stakeholders and we are committed to doing everything we can to help our students thrive. We’re here to listen and families can always speak to their school if they need support or advice.”
The public meeting will take place at 7pm on Wednesday, February 25, at Holmans Social Club, Pendarves Road, Camborne.