Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey School Unions
Hello All
My name is Shax and I'm part of a small group who would like to start an initiative called "school unions" in local Secondary Schools. This would be a union which represents people who have a genuine interest in a school - students, parents, people in the local community etc. of a school.
The way this would operate is that: Students, Parents / Guardians etc. would come to the Union with issues relating to their place of education, then the union would try and achieve changes relevant to what issues people have raised.
The way in which this differs to governing bodies is that the Union would offer surgeries for all students, parents etc. to relay their issues, as well as various other services to ensure that schools are genuinely acting in the interests of everyone, and to ensure that students, parents / guardians have real representation in Secondary schools.
I'm intending to launch this initiative in Haringey, and a couple of the local Councillors are interested. I'm now trying to reach out to local residents who have an interest in schools (particularly parents and carers).
If this is of interest to anyone, please get in contact by dropping me an email on haringeyschoolunions@gmail.com or feel free to send me a direct message here (but email is easiest) 
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Who are the local councillors that are interested?
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Permalink Reply by JulieB on
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My son is at secondary school in Haringey and my daughter will move into secondary in September.
I haven't come across this idea of a school union before. I am trying to think of an issue that I wouldn't be able or happy to raise with school directly, but I can't think of anything.
Can you give us some examples of the sort of issues you expect a school union could help with?
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I'm not sure about a "union", but when schools get together like this it can stop them being "academised". I may be wrong in this case of course and apologies for making up a word.
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I think that might be a different thing, but I could be wrong.
Our primary (Chestnuts) became a foundation school a few years ago, I think North Harringay is in the same Trust. I'm sorry I can't remember the exact details, but from what I remember it's a union of a couple/few schools who join together to share knowledge/training and to gain economies of scale for obtaining resources. It was done for many reasons and not specifically to avoid being pushed into becoming an academy but my understanding was it would perhaps make it more difficult to be forced into it.
I think what Shax is suggesting is something different, but I don't really understand what is being suggested, and half of Haringey's secondary schools are already academies.
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That's why I asked who are the councillors that are supporting it. It will tell us a lot about what it might be for.
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Permalink Reply by Haringey School Unions on
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Hi John
Not sure whether this message went through the first time.
Some of the Labour Cllrs in Hornsey and Wood Green are involved. There is no party political agenda or no factional agenda with this.
If Lib Dem Cllrs take an interest, they would equally be welcomed.
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The Labour Councillors in Hornsey and Wood Green that have been deselected or stood down?
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Hi Julie
Apologies for the delay in replying.
Examples of the sort of issues the school union would help with include:
1) Unfair exclusions: Pupils are often excluded unfairly, and when the Parents / Carers dispute this, there is very often no one to represent them against the school. The School Union would help Parents / Carers in situations such as this.
2) Campaigns within the School: Many schools have some rules which Parents, Carers, Pupils etc. disagree with. Very often schools have "school councils", but the reality is that most of the time, the campaigns which pupils lead on are unsuccessful. The School Union would assist with campaigns.
3) Surgeries: We also intend to offer Surgeries (similar model to Councillor Surgeries) for Students and Parents / Carers to relay any concerns they have with the school.
By the way, we are intending to do this in Secondary Schools, but that's not to say we would work on this in Primary Schools as well.
I hope this clarifies. Anymore questions, feel free to ask
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This does rather sound like parents unionising to oppose the management of a given school and their decisions. I think working with schools rather than unionising against them would always be the best way forward. Is there anything positive involved, other than contesting local schools' decisions? Otherwise this doesn't sound like a particularly positive group to join.
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Thanks for that, Rory.
Yes there are other aspects which you might regard as "positives" involved such as Meet Ups: Sometimes it is helpful for Parents / Carers to link up so they know other Parents / Carers at the school. The School Union would provide a space for Parents / Carers to meet others if they wish to.
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