JOB cuts planned by the secretive Mossbourne Federation for two of the borough's secondary schools have been condemned by staff as threatening the future education of young people in the east of the borough.

The East London-based Federation, which has still not taken official control of Hassenbrook Academy and Gable Hall Schools (and the sister Corringham Primary School) from the troubled Ortu Federation, has instigated talks with staff and aims to cut direct teaching and supportive roles.

Staff were called into meetings yesterday (Tuesday, 19 November) to hear the news and are today digesting detailed plans that show where the axe will fall.

Eleven direct teaching posts are poised to be cut at Hassenbrook, with senior leadership staff including vice principal and assistant principal roles also targeted. As is special needs provision.

Job cuts expected at Hassenbrook.

Five administrative posts there will go, with additional cuts in teaching support, the library and technical support.

Savings are expected at Gable Hall, where Nub News understands a total of 51 jobs are under threat.

A member of staff told Nub News: "Some good staff and good people, many of them local, will lose their jobs. It's disgusting.

"Our two secondary schools are being run as a business exam factory and not places where children get support and best learning. Mossbourne has no morals at all."

Gable Hall is currently rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted, the lowest ranking it gives, and Hassenbrook 'requires improvement', one step above.

Concern about what is happening at Hassenbrook and Gable Hall has been raised by Stanford West ward councillor Neil Speight, who has twice raised the matter at Thurrock Council's people overview and scrutiny committee, which he chairs.

Under the academy system Thurrock Council has little input into the management of the schools, though does manage certain aspects of education including placement and attendance services. It also offers educational support in some areas including special needs provision and help with transport for some families.

Cllr Speight, whose ward includes Hassenbrook, previously asked if the council was concerned about the delay in Mossbourne taking over, which should have happened at the start of this academic year. He was told the council did not have significant oversight but did not have any concern.

Mossbourne was the choice of the Department for Education (DfE) as the successor to the Ortu Federation, which together with the sometimes eccentric management style of its CEO Dr Sophina Asong, saw Gable Hall plummet into effective special measures. Hassenbrook also fared poorly in Ofsted inspections.

Ortu Federation eventually reacted when its Trustees ousted Dr Asong and other senior figures – though it was not without significant cost. More than £300,000 was paid out in compensation to staff who departed.

Initially the government, when it deemed Ortu not capable of carrying on, wanted the Harris Academy chain to take over, but it pulled out after looking at the accounts.

Thurrock-based Gateway Learning Community (GLC) was then poised to take over and its former CEO and highly respected education leader Kevin Sadler stepped in as interim Ortu CEO, but the GLC's application, despite being supported by Ortu's Trust, was dismissed by the DfE which decided the Hackney-based Mossbourne Federation, which has a reputation for strong discipline, was the better choice. It was due to take over in March this year. That didn't happen and two further deadlines in September and November have also passed. It is now set to happen in January.

Mossbourne was set up 12 years ago by the late Sir Clive Bourne, who believed the children of Hackney were being incorrectly blamed for the failure of schools and wanted to improve the standard of education.

Three of its schools, Mossbourne Community Academy, Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy and Mossbourne Riverside Academy are all currently rated as "outstanding" by Oftsed.

In October Mr Sadler left Ortu and the chair of trustees Georgina Clark stepped down from her role – reportedly at the request of Mossbourne's CEO Peter Hughes, who has been leading the takeover and did address parents in October last year.

At last night's committee meeting Cllr Speight again raised his fears about the schools' futures, saying Mossbourne was being secretive and not sharing its plans with the local community - which included families with children in the current year five and six who deserved to know what is happening as they shape education pathways.

Thurrock Council's director of Children's Services Sheila Murphy, said she had contacted the DfE and received the following statement: "Mossbourne Federation is currently working closely with the three Ortu academies.

"The delay to the formal transfer date has been due to the time it has taken to conclude an external financial audit of the Ortu accounts and to finalise the new Funding Agreement, which the trust must enter as part of the transfer process.

"The previous Interim CEO of Ortu left at the end of last term.

Sheila Murphy reporting to Thurrock Council's People O&S committee last night.

"To bridge the gap, the Ortu Federation Board appointed the current CEO of Mossbourne as the interim CEO of the Ortu Federation on 27 August 2024. Mossbourne has also brought in additional senior leadership capacity from within their trust to work across all three ORTU academies, in order to deliver the much-needed School Improvement support, particularly at Hassenbrook and Gable Hall.

"Mossbourne has invested significant resources into this transfer and remains committed to conclude the formal transfer for 1 January 2025."

Australian Mr Hughes - author of a book called 'Outstanding School Leadership - How to take your school to the top and stay there' - is now in direct charge of affairs at both secondary schools as interim CEO and Accounting Officer. Leading figures within Ortu can be found via this link.

Both Mossbourne and Ortu Federations have ignored requests by Thurrock Nub News for statements about what is happening at the schools.

In September, there was considerable controversy at both schools when a crackdown on uniforms and shoes was imposed when children returned after the summer break. Hassenbrook later admitted it might have made some mistakes and assumptions in imposing the policy and its head later apologised.