Pledge to support parents at Stanford's troubled schools by forming watchdog group hits the buffers despite local councillor's description of shocking incident

LEADING councillors clashed during a debate over Thurrock Council engaging with parents to support and consider concerns about how a controversial education trust is acting after taking responsibility for the management of three borough schools.

During a debate at the council's People overview and scrutiny meeting on Thursday (30 January) evening, its chairman came under fire from the borough's children's services portfolio holder after he disclosed details of how a child was left to sit in wet clothes after being refused a request to use a toilet.

The incident was revealed by Stanford West independent councillor Neil Speight, who chairs the committee, in a debate about whether the council should set up a task and finish group to support parents.

The idea was proposed by council leader John Kent at a meeting earlier this month when more than 130 parents attended, with many expressing disappointment about the actions of the Mossbourne Trust, which has taken over the running of Hassenbrook and Gable Hall secondary schools and Corringham Primary.

The Hackney-based trust has previously come under fire for its overly strict approach at its east London schools.

At the original meeting held shortly after Christmas, attended by Cllr Vikki Hartstean, portfolio holder for children's services and education, and council leader Cllr Kent, parents were told a "task and finish" group of councillors would be set up as an impartial intermediary between parents and the Mossbourne trust.

The debate on proposed Mossbourne Trist task and finish group in full:-

At yesterday's O&S committee members were briefed on how a task and finish group could operate, and within what parameters it might act.

Explaining the level of parents' concern, Cllr Speight gave an example of one family's distress over an incident at one of the schools, saying: "A child who was in school asked to go to the toilet and the Mossbourne policy is that you don't go to the toilet for a certain amount of time and from what I understand the toilets are actually locked.

"That child actually wet themself in a classroom and the teacher made that child sit in that classroom in that state."

According to Cllr Speight, the trust has since apologised, but he said it wasn't enough 'just to dismiss the incident', which was one of many similar alleged breaches of care.

Telling the committee that its actual powers were limited, he stressed that the one area under the academisation of schools where local authorities retained power, was in safeguarding.

He added: "This is a safeguarding issue. We can be the voice for parents."

Cllr Hartstean was critical of Cllr Speight's appraisal of the situation and claimed she "didn't recall" agreeing to set up a task and finish group and despite being "unhappy" about the issues at the school the councillor said she did not "want to discuss the issues in a public forum" as it was "inappropriate".

She added she had met with the Department for Education and the trust and had agreed to hold monthly meeting with parents.

Several councillors expressed concerns about the management of the schools under Mossbourne, with one member, Cllr Barry Johnson - who was a former children's service portfolio holder - slamming the Department of Education for failing Stanford and Corringham by appointing them.

However, others also said they were not convinced forming a task and finish group was a solution to the problems parents faced.

In response Cllr Speight said: "I don't think we should be sugar-coating the situation we are in.

"Residents and parents came to us and said 'my child is in pain, my child is hurting, my child is crying' and we said we will help. Are we really prepared to ignore that cry for help?"

Cllr Speight proposed postponing a decision until the committee's next meeting in March, which gave time for the council and the Trust to consider their respective positions and members supported that decision.

After a spell of several months when its CEO took interim charge of the outgoing Ortu Trust that ran the schools for a number of years and saw both Gable Hall and Hassenbrook slump in the Ofsted rankings, Mossbourne Federation Trust took over formal control of the three schools on 1 January this year.

The schools have since been renamed Mossbourne Port Side School (Hassenbrook), Mossbourne Fobbing Academy (Gable Hall) and Mossbourne Herd Lane (Corringham).

The Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted the Mossbourne Trist for a comment, but has yet to receive a response.