(UK) Harris Charter school rejects disabled girl, the Charter school founder gets education award

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/8670892.Disabled_girl__health_and_safety_risk___says_school/

A disabled 11-year-old girl has been rejected by an academy school because she poses a “health and safety risk” to other children.

Idayah Miller, from Norbury, was told she could not go to the elite Harris Academy in Crystal Palace because her wheelchair would restrict the movement of other children in the crowded corridors.

In a letter to her parents, headteacher Steve Kenning also said the little girl would suffer low self-esteem because her “academic ability is quite low” and Harris is “a high pressure, high performing academy” where she would struggle to keep up with her friends.

http://www.educationinvestor.co.uk/ShowArticleNews.aspx?ID=1997&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Top EducationInvestor award goes to Lord Harris

Lord Harris of Peckham has won the "outstanding contribution by an individual award" at the inaugural EducationInvestor awards.

The awards ceremony, held last night at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, saw Lord Harris recognised for his work as chair of the Harris Federation of nine south London academy schools. The panel of judges praised his "exceptional record in getting excellent results from struggling schools".

Lord Harris saw off competition from other senior figures including former schools secretary Ed Balls and Partnerships for Schools boss Tim Byles.

Hat tip Anti Academies Alliance: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anti-Academies-Alliance/178831804728


Before being elevated to the peerage and meddling in school "reform" Lord Harris was chiefly involved in carpet and linoleum. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/2818758/Carpetright-Carpet-king-rolls-back-the-years.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Harris,_Baron_Harris_of_Peckham

[MineralMan]

1. Big problems with your story:

1. It is not a "charter" school. It is a private academy. The name of the school is simply Harris Academy. Your title implies that its name is Harris Charter School.

2. This school is in the UK, not the United States, and has nothing to do with US charter schools.

Because of your misleading title, I am unreccing this OP.

[CreekDog]

9. You mean we can't discuss British schools in the Education forum?

that's like saying we can't discuss the Book of Big British Smiles in the Dental Forum!

:rant:

[MineralMan]

10. I'm in no position to tell anyone what they may or may not post.

I commented on the OP. That is all. It was my opinion. See my signature line.

[CreekDog]

11. You criticized her for posting about British schools, explain to us why it's inappropriate

if you didn't want to discuss it why did you say it in the first place?

[MineralMan]

12. I made my post. It was my opinion. I'm not going to explain it any

further.

[Catshrink]

13. ...

:popcorn:

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Actually bigger problems with YOUR comment

1. Charter schools are called academies in England.

2. Charter schools are basically the same in England as here. So this does relate to US charters.

3. In England they spell 'color' as 'colour'. No that isn't relevant but then neither was your comment.

[Hannah Bell]

16. it's the british version of a charter school. i assure you that starry has researched the matter

extensively & likely knows more about the situation as anyone posting here, including you.


"An academy in the education system in England is a type of secondary school which is independent of Local Education Authority control but is publicly funded, with some private sponsorship. It is roughly equivalent to the American charter school.<5> This type of school was initiated in 2000 and known as a city academy for the first few years, but the term was changed to "academy" by an amendment in the Education Act 2002.<6>"

An academy in the education system in England is a school that is directly funded by central government (the Department for Education) and is independent of local government control. An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind...
The former Labour prime minister, Tony Blair, established academies in 2000."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_(English_school).

They're almost exactly equivalent to charter schools, including the general timing.

and if you think there's no relationship between british & us charter schools, you must have missed this:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Hannah%20Bell/142

and this:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Starry%20Messenger/132

where we lay out some of those connections in great detail.

in fact, you don't know anything about this issue; you simply take offense at the implications.

but unfortunately, they're fact.

[Starry Messenger]

19. Thank you Hannah.

I wish I had your patience. I swear, teaching teenagers is a million times easier than some of the obdurate attitudes to learning new facts found here. Thank you also for the reminder about Bill Gates owning 3% of Harris. When I posted the OP I knew he was on our list, but I was on my way out the door and couldn't remember the connection.

[Starry Messenger]

2. To ignored

Academies is the British term for charter schools. Two, UK is clearly in the title of my OP. Most people who claim to be educated know what that stands for. Therefore, you stay on ignore. Thank you for playing.

[MineralMan]

3. OK. The ignore feature on DU is always available for use.

It only means that you won't see my replies or posts. I don't find it at all useful not to see what others post. That is why my ignore list is completely empty.

[donco6]

5. That's what makes you so special.

And the rest of us in awe of your . . . awesomeness.

[MineralMan]

6. Awww...now you're making me blush.

:blush:

[donco6]

4. "It's Carpet! It's Madness! It's Carpet Madness!"

You have to know Absolutely Fabulous to get it.

[Starry Messenger]

7. I've watched a few of those and loved them.

I missed the carpet bit. I'll check youtube later and see if I can find some clips.

[donco6]

8. I can't even really describe why that bit is funny, but it still makes me giggle.

I normally don't even like slapstick humor, but that's just done so well it's hysterical.

[RainDog]

15. this is such an excellent thread in SO many ways

I can't even begin to explain why.

but you know why anyway.

[Starry Messenger]

20. Why thank you RainDog.

There's always fun and excitement in the Education forum. :D

[RainDog]

21. you're welcome

some posts are almost like caricatures of themselves.

[Hannah Bell]

17. Lord harris, the carpet magnate; bill gates owns 3% of his business.

a little quid pro quo.

[ThomCat]

18. So they promote themselves as accessible to kids in wheelchairs

but reject kids in wheelchairs.

I'm sure that isn't going to go over well. There has to be a potential lawsuit in that for false advertising, or defrauding investors, or something.

Did they receive any grants or funding specifically because they were supposedly accessible that that might need to be refunded, now that they have decided that they never really were accessible?

Their wallet is where I'd try to hit them first.