Headteacher of Rochford school speaks out over striking teachers

9:00am Wednesday 19th December 2012 in Local News By David Trayner

Hasan Chawdhry Hasan Chawdhry

A HEADTEACHER accused of bullying by striking staff has defended his school reforms as necessary to drive up standards.

Some of Hasan) Chawdhry’s changes to Holt Farm Junior School, including more lesson observations, a reduction in the number of Year 5 teachers and increased class sizes, have proved unpopular with parents and staff.

But the head, who has 21 years teaching experience and an OBE for services to education, insists the changes are needed to let pupils and the school fulfil their potential to be outstanding.

He said: “A lot of changes have been made and a lot of accountability put in place where there was none before.

“That’s the reason I was brought in. Let us not forget that the school’s problems come from a longer period of time than recent months.”

The governing body brought Mr Chawdhry in from London as an advisor in November last year, originally three days a week for one month, as previous headteacher Steven Keley was on long-term sick leave and his deputy, Gillian Lloyd lacked leadership experience and was expected to go on maternity leave.

He was invited back after Christmas and asked to stay on until the summer after Mr Keley resigned in March. He successfully applied for the vacancy and started permanently in September.

The atmosphere soured when Mr Chawdhry fed back the results of a local education authority review of the school’s performance this March following a “satisfactory” Ofsted report in March 2011. The review praised recent improvements but criticised overall progress.

Mr Chawdhry, 50, who lives in London, said: “I said we need to improve this. It didn’t go down well when individuals recognised themselves in the report.”

His decision to reduce the number of classes from 12 to 10 to save money, which resulted in four classes growing from 25 to more than 30 pupils, angered some parents.

But Mr Chawdhry was only activating a plan agreed in summer 2011, before he joined the school and believes good teaching, not class size, determines achievement.

He said: “There was a bit of a row with parents because they couldn’t understand it. We had meetings and I explained it.

“It was a ‘satisfactory’ school for the past two Ofsted reports, when we had 25 pupils per class. If the theory was lower class sizes leads to better learning, it didn’t show it in our school.

“Better teaching is what leads to better results.”

Comments (7)

10:53am Wed 19 Dec 12

Brunning999 says...

Go for it mate , hold firm against provocation and intimidation.

And remember the greater amount of patents that do not belong to the pushy parent, busy body, posh hat brigade, do not get a chance to express their views, because they are to busy trying to survive this bloody recession.
Go for it mate , hold firm against provocation and intimidation. And remember the greater amount of patents that do not belong to the pushy parent, busy body, posh hat brigade, do not get a chance to express their views, because they are to busy trying to survive this bloody recession. Brunning999

11:47am Wed 19 Dec 12

Eric Whim says...

if these teachers don't like it, I suggest they stand aside and let others take their place - there are plenty of newly qualified teachers looking for permanent placings who would probably jump at the chance to work under a progressive and dedicated headteacher who achieves results
if these teachers don't like it, I suggest they stand aside and let others take their place - there are plenty of newly qualified teachers looking for permanent placings who would probably jump at the chance to work under a progressive and dedicated headteacher who achieves results Eric Whim

11:53am Wed 19 Dec 12

rochfordfa says...

With a child at this school I really like the improvements that have occurred. As mentioned in this report a lot of the changes were agreed before Mr Chawdhry took over so why should he go. also the decisions are probably all passed through the school governors so why are the teachers not demanding that they all resign/get the sack?

What was disgusting was that there was a picket line outside of the school which the children had to cross. I understand that strikers have the right to pickey BUT outside the school where young children will be intimidated.

Now, the lesson to the kids, if you don't like what you are asked/told to do you can refuse to do it because that's what the teachers have done!
With a child at this school I really like the improvements that have occurred. As mentioned in this report a lot of the changes were agreed before Mr Chawdhry took over so why should he go. also the decisions are probably all passed through the school governors so why are the teachers not demanding that they all resign/get the sack? What was disgusting was that there was a picket line outside of the school which the children had to cross. I understand that strikers have the right to pickey BUT outside the school where young children will be intimidated. Now, the lesson to the kids, if you don't like what you are asked/told to do you can refuse to do it because that's what the teachers have done! rochfordfa

8:09pm Wed 19 Dec 12

tricklesthegreek says...

As a teacher myself, if the teachers don't like it, leave - and let other teachers join and work for someone with a similar ethos. If a school is being dragged through it then ultimately it's only for the good of the children. I hate lesson observations because they make me a nervous wreck, but I'd always rather someone come in and check they are happy with what is going on in my classroom and use constructive and helpful feedback to help me improve, rather than coast for months on end and then get an Ofsted inspector tell me I'm satisfactory when someone could have come in sooner, given me a couple of pointers and helped me to improve. Maybe it was more the tone that these suggestions were given in that has got people's backs up?
As a teacher myself, if the teachers don't like it, leave - and let other teachers join and work for someone with a similar ethos. If a school is being dragged through it then ultimately it's only for the good of the children. I hate lesson observations because they make me a nervous wreck, but I'd always rather someone come in and check they are happy with what is going on in my classroom and use constructive and helpful feedback to help me improve, rather than coast for months on end and then get an Ofsted inspector tell me I'm satisfactory when someone could have come in sooner, given me a couple of pointers and helped me to improve. Maybe it was more the tone that these suggestions were given in that has got people's backs up? tricklesthegreek

11:35am Thu 20 Dec 12

Plopsybunny says...

It's not the requests for change or accountability for quality which the teachers are striking over. It is the aggressive bullying nature of the head. This response has not addressed the bullying comments at all merely more about improvements which the teachers themselves have stated that they approve of. It is the poor management style and aggression which is at he heart of this dispute. No one should have to put up with aggression in the workplace. Just what example does the head shouting at teaching staff set our children?
It's not the requests for change or accountability for quality which the teachers are striking over. It is the aggressive bullying nature of the head. This response has not addressed the bullying comments at all merely more about improvements which the teachers themselves have stated that they approve of. It is the poor management style and aggression which is at he heart of this dispute. No one should have to put up with aggression in the workplace. Just what example does the head shouting at teaching staff set our children? Plopsybunny

11:02am Fri 21 Dec 12

rochfordfa says...

Plopsybunny wrote:
It's not the requests for change or accountability for quality which the teachers are striking over. It is the aggressive bullying nature of the head. This response has not addressed the bullying comments at all merely more about improvements which the teachers themselves have stated that they approve of. It is the poor management style and aggression which is at he heart of this dispute. No one should have to put up with aggression in the workplace. Just what example does the head shouting at teaching staff set our children?
Forgetting the reasons for the strikes, to counter the point about shouting, what example does teachers going on strike set out children?

Have talks been held with an independent service such as ACAS to resolve the issue?

Going on strike rarely resolves problems! Usually you get the strike and then the union sits down with the management and ACAS and resolves the problems.
[quote][p][bold]Plopsybunny[/bold] wrote: It's not the requests for change or accountability for quality which the teachers are striking over. It is the aggressive bullying nature of the head. This response has not addressed the bullying comments at all merely more about improvements which the teachers themselves have stated that they approve of. It is the poor management style and aggression which is at he heart of this dispute. No one should have to put up with aggression in the workplace. Just what example does the head shouting at teaching staff set our children?[/p][/quote]Forgetting the reasons for the strikes, to counter the point about shouting, what example does teachers going on strike set out children? Have talks been held with an independent service such as ACAS to resolve the issue? Going on strike rarely resolves problems! Usually you get the strike and then the union sits down with the management and ACAS and resolves the problems. rochfordfa

2:29pm Fri 21 Dec 12

Logic-rules says...

rochfordfa wrote:
Plopsybunny wrote:
It's not the requests for change or accountability for quality which the teachers are striking over. It is the aggressive bullying nature of the head. This response has not addressed the bullying comments at all merely more about improvements which the teachers themselves have stated that they approve of. It is the poor management style and aggression which is at he heart of this dispute. No one should have to put up with aggression in the workplace. Just what example does the head shouting at teaching staff set our children?
Forgetting the reasons for the strikes, to counter the point about shouting, what example does teachers going on strike set out children?

Have talks been held with an independent service such as ACAS to resolve the issue?

Going on strike rarely resolves problems! Usually you get the strike and then the union sits down with the management and ACAS and resolves the problems.
I am surprised that anyone would counter the point about shoutuing in front of our children in school is unacceptable.

If you truly feel that shouting in class is appropriate I fail to understand how you could feel quitely standing outside a school is unacceptable. The entrance was not blocked and the teachers were not entering into discussion with children.

However at the teachers explanation meeting it was made clear that there have already been two attempts at mediation which failed.

Going on strike is a last resort after mediation has failed. However the teachers have asked that an independent review take place; the results of which I would like to see made public. It is now the governors and the head teacher who are refusing the independent review/mediation to take place not the teaching staff.
[quote][p][bold]rochfordfa[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Plopsybunny[/bold] wrote: It's not the requests for change or accountability for quality which the teachers are striking over. It is the aggressive bullying nature of the head. This response has not addressed the bullying comments at all merely more about improvements which the teachers themselves have stated that they approve of. It is the poor management style and aggression which is at he heart of this dispute. No one should have to put up with aggression in the workplace. Just what example does the head shouting at teaching staff set our children?[/p][/quote]Forgetting the reasons for the strikes, to counter the point about shouting, what example does teachers going on strike set out children? Have talks been held with an independent service such as ACAS to resolve the issue? Going on strike rarely resolves problems! Usually you get the strike and then the union sits down with the management and ACAS and resolves the problems.[/p][/quote]I am surprised that anyone would counter the point about shoutuing in front of our children in school is unacceptable. If you truly feel that shouting in class is appropriate I fail to understand how you could feel quitely standing outside a school is unacceptable. The entrance was not blocked and the teachers were not entering into discussion with children. However at the teachers explanation meeting it was made clear that there have already been two attempts at mediation which failed. Going on strike is a last resort after mediation has failed. However the teachers have asked that an independent review take place; the results of which I would like to see made public. It is now the governors and the head teacher who are refusing the independent review/mediation to take place not the teaching staff. Logic-rules

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