Paddy Cunningham: “It was a mistake to stay at the school for sixth form”

A BOYS’ secondary school is “in turmoil”, it was claimed this week, a year after its headteacher was forced to retire early, leading to a 20-teacher exodus.

The comments come in the same month that Islington was rated one of the worst boroughs in the country for A- level results by the Department for Education.

A group of Year 13 students at St Aloysius’ RC College in Archway told the Tribune that they feared they would not get into the university of their choice because teaching had been disrupted after about 20 staff left the school in the past year.

The students were backed by Islington’s National Education Union (NEU) representative, Ken Muller, who said he had received a number of complaints from teachers about the “negative atmosphere” at the school following the mysterious departure of former headteacher Tom Mannion.

“It was a mistake to stay at the school for sixth form,” said Paddy Cunningham, 18, who is hoping to study marine biology at university to combat climate change.

He described how teachers were double booked for some subjects and said he was missing out on one taught lesson each week.

“My teacher can’t provide as many lessons to me because she has to teach another class at the same time. If you add up the hours it adds up to quite a lot after a year. I’m worrying I might fail my A-level exams,” he said.

“It’s turmoil. Teachers plan their lessons for the year so if someone leaves it’s not helpful. ”

A former science teacher told the Tribune: “The new management changed working conditions, imposing earlier hours with no consultation and no recognition of the contribution that teachers made during the period after Tom Mannion left. Teachers who have been there for years were crying in the corridors.”

Former head Tom Mannion 

Paddy Cunningham wrote to the Tribune and Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn’s office just before Christmas complaining about the double booking of teachers and a stricter dress code.

Mr Mannion, who was awarded an OBE for services to education, was credited with vastly improving the school after he joined in 2004. The school was ranked “outstanding” by Ofsted inspectors seven years ago. The 74-year- old said he was forced to bring forward his retirement date after he was arrested by officers on suspicion of fraud.

He told the Tribune last year that the Met had now said it would take no further action against him, but the whole experience had left him feeling “numb”.

A new management team was brought in at the Roman Catholic school by the Diocese of Westminster after Mr Mannion’s departure. There are also new governors.

Mr Muller, Islington’s NEU press and publicity officer, said: “This should be raising alarm bells about the level of demoralisation that exists at St Aloysius, which is not only bad for staff but also, inevitably, for the students they teach.”

Executive headteacher Jane Heffernan has strongly rejected the claims made by students and the teachers’ union.

Most staff changes were caused by retirement or promotion, she said.

She has pointed to a recent Ofsted inspection, which spoke highly of the new management.

This had worked to “further enhance provision for our students, as has the appointment of an experienced careers officer who has worked tirelessly to secure outstanding opportunities for progression to top universities,” she said.

“This has significantly increased the number of students securing offers of places at Russell Group and other top universities for September 2019, in addition to a range of vocational internships at top financial and legal institutions.”

Ms Heffernan said she was “disappointed” that the NEU should make such an “un- founded” statement. “Staff at the school work tirelessly to secure the best for the children in their care and should be praised for the quality of care and guidance that
they provide,” she said.