Head of troubled Oasis academy quits (From Daily Echo)
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Head teacher resigns from city school after parents complaints
11:10am Monday 24th November 2008 in Oasis Academy Mayfield
Ruth Johnson
THE head teacher of a troubled Southampton academy where pupils went on the rampage has resigned.
Ruth Johnson has quit her post as the head of Oasis Academy Mayfield, one of the city’s two new academies.
It comes just a month after Ms Johnson told the Daily Echo she wanted to make the a success of the school, formed from the merger of Grove Park and Woolston schools.
Staff at the academy were told of Ms Johnson's resignation in a meeting this morning with chairman of governors Billy Kennedy.
On Friday more than 100 parents turned up to a private meeting with Government universities minister and Southampton MP John Denham to voice their concerns about the academy.
Oasis Community Learning has installed John Toland as the new principal with Kevin Mahon as senior deputy principal. Both have been working at the school for the last month as part of Oasis’ education support team.
In a statement issued this morning by Oasis Community Learning, chief executive officer Steve Chalke said: “First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ruth for her substantial contribution to the Academy’s planning and launch.
“Ruth has a passion for the needs of young people and we wish her well in her future plans.
“I’m delighted that John Toland, who has been working very hard as part of the Oasis education support team at Mayfield over the last few weeks, has agreed to continue his sterling work, now as principal.
“The welfare of our students will always remain our priority and we passionately believe they will benefit enormously from the new leadership team now in place at the school.”
Mr Chalke has today written to parents to explain the changes and has invited them to a series of meetings with Mr Toland, staff, the academy leadership team and academy council.
Mr Toland added: "I am delighted to have been appointed to this important position and am absolutely committed to making Mayfield a success.
"I want to assure parents, students and staff that I am fully focused on providing the best possible education for our children.
"I'd also like to thank Ruth and pay tribute to her hard work that I will look to build on."
Councillor Peter Baillie, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Learning, said: “I am confident that Oasis Community Learning is acting in the best interests of the students and staff at Mayfield.
"The Academy has a strong senior management team in place and Oasis Community Learning has made an excellent choice in the appointments of John Toland and Kevin Mahon to lead the school forward.
"We will continue to work closely with the Academy in this time of change in order to support the needs of Southampton’s young people.
"I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Ruth Johnson for the work she has done in the city and wish her luck in the future.”
Ms Johnson's resignation has been welcomed by Southampton's union bosses.
Ron Clooney, from the NASUWT teaching union, said: “Ruth Johnson’s resignation is good news for the community and staff of the academy.
“However the leaders of Oasis Learning Academy and Southampton local education authority should hang their heads in shame.
“Children in Year 11 whose exam year this is have had so much disruption it is unforgivable.
“All children deserve a bite at the cherry and many have had that taken away from them.”
Pete Sopowski, from Southampton NUT, said: “The unions will work with the new principal to encourage staff to stay and to make sure pupils don’t have their education disrupted.”
Ruth Johnson’s defiant message to parents and pupils at her troubled school in October.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
READ MORE ON THE OASIS ACADEMY HERE
Comments(58)
goard
says...
10:39am Mon 24 Nov 08
goard
cherrypi
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10:43am Mon 24 Nov 08
Adrian Smith
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11:01am Mon 24 Nov 08
cherrypi wrote:Let's hope you are right and her replacement will simply fix everything. I doubt that will happen though.
There is no way that Mrs Johnson was an underdog, it was her rottweiler methods that led to her downfall. Everyone will be saying halleluia that their prayers have been answered!!!
wizzle
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11:12am Mon 24 Nov 08
Heartbroken
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11:12am Mon 24 Nov 08
goard
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11:26am Mon 24 Nov 08
goard
JulieBobs
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11:31am Mon 24 Nov 08
3 Amigos
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11:59am Mon 24 Nov 08
Adrian Smith
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12:11pm Mon 24 Nov 08
3 Amigos wrote:Did she resign or was she asked to resign? If she was asked then a payoff IRO £100K would not be unexpected. That should make everyone happy.
Well the only thing to say is 'what was the pay off?' The women has caused constant disorganisation and disruption amoungst pupils and staff !!!
Heartbroken
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12:13pm Mon 24 Nov 08
John Le Fleming
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12:27pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Condor Man
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12:38pm Mon 24 Nov 08
3 Amigos
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12:42pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Adrian Smith
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12:57pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Condor Man wrote:You will need £12K per year per child - but it will be money well spent.
A victory for mob rule. Goes to show that a group of out of control kids and their ineffective parents have more power than a head teacher. I'm starting to save now as there's no way I'm sending my kids to a state school in Southampton
Pi.Face
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1:32pm Mon 24 Nov 08
I taught at Grove last year and attended many of Ms Johnsons staff planning meetings and she got of to a bad start with many staff members that got progressively worse. For the merger and split site to work it needs the whole staff to pull together to make it workable. Now that she has stepped aside maybe this can happen.
I know that many of my former colleagues were disillusioned with what was happening and the lack of leadership that was being shown. Hopefully some of the 19 teachers that were resigning at xmas can be persuaded to stay on and create the succesful acadamy that the community deserves.
thesaint
says...
1:45pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Condor Man wrote:thank god for that, mob rule what planet ARE you on.
A victory for mob rule. Goes to show that a group of out of control kids and their ineffective parents have more power than a head teacher. I'm starting to save now as there's no way I'm sending my kids to a state school in Southampton
they have got rid of a useless head teacher and hopefully will replace her with someone who can consult and lead from the front.
concernedmum
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1:45pm Mon 24 Nov 08
kein
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1:46pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Plus Mr.Tollen will make a great new princable he has been working at the academy since the October half term.
Lib Lob
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1:49pm Mon 24 Nov 08
John Le Fleming wrote:Steve Chalke didn't CHOOSE the Oasis Trust, he IS the Oasis Trust. But I do agree he is the one who should be answering the questions.
It's hard not to feel sorry for Ruth Johnson on a personal basis. But other people should be looking at their own positions as they were responsible for the farce that became Oasis Mayfield. I'm thinking of Steve Chalke and, because he chose Oasis against the advice of his own expert officers, parents and teachers, Councillor Peter Baillie.
mr.southampton
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1:55pm Mon 24 Nov 08
John Le Fleming wrote:Agreed, Cllr Baille is the one who made the original decision to bring in Oasis so should do the decent thing and tender his resignation.
It's hard not to feel sorry for Ruth Johnson on a personal basis. But other people should be looking at their own positions as they were responsible for the farce that became Oasis Mayfield. I'm thinking of Steve Chalke and, because he chose Oasis against the advice of his own expert officers, parents and teachers, Councillor Peter Baillie.
goard
says...
2:04pm Mon 24 Nov 08
goard
knighton rd
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2:26pm Mon 24 Nov 08
baz1
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2:30pm Mon 24 Nov 08
The whole system is a MESS.
I speak from experience!
Portswood Pete
says...
2:31pm Mon 24 Nov 08
kein wrote:Why do you think he and Mr Mahon were brought? They (oasis) were getting ready for when Mrs Johnson "resigned". You don't bring in 2 "Senior Deputy Principals" just to make up the numbers, Mrs Johnsons cards were marked long ago and now she is holding them!
everyone is so happy now in the academy even the teachers are now smiling. Plus Mr.Tollen will make a great new princable he has been working at the academy since the October half term.
baz1
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2:43pm Mon 24 Nov 08
nt" just like ALL nurses are excellent.In my experience they're mixed ability-some good,some bad,most average..just like the pupils.
knighton rd
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2:49pm Mon 24 Nov 08
baz1 wrote:Totally agree but lets be honest if the working environment you are woeking in gets you down the standards are going to go down. Initially management is all about working with what you have and provide the support your staff need until you get that chance to change it and from what I hear that never happened
Just to add-not ALL teachers(including the 19 who resigned)are"excelle nt" just like ALL nurses are excellent.In my experience they're mixed ability-some good,some bad,most average..just like the pupils.
observer1
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3:15pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Condor Man
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3:30pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Mr E Guest
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3:47pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Year10Kid
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3:49pm Mon 24 Nov 08
John Le Fleming
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4:21pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Condor Man wrote:Whatever the merits of Clive Webster, he and his team of professional officers did NOT recommend Oasis to run this school. That decision, against the advice of officers, teachers and parents was taken by Councillor Peter Baillie and his Conservative colleagues. If anyone should be falling on his sword it should be Mr Baillie. +
I think it's high time for Clive Webster to fall on his sword too.
Portswood Pete
says...
4:40pm Mon 24 Nov 08
John Le Fleming wrote:I agree to a certain extent John but it goes much deeper than that. Labour are at fault for not dealing with the problem of excess places in Southampton earlier. Lib-Dems are at fault for the woeful way in which they dealt with the whole learning futures thing. The Tories are at fault for, as you say John, giving both Academies to Oasis. Oasis are at fault for trying to run two Academies when they had limited experience. All in all, no-one, except the much put upon staff, come out of this smelling, not of roses but of something you would put on your roses.
Condor Man wrote: I think it's high time for Clive Webster to fall on his sword too.Whatever the merits of Clive Webster, he and his team of professional officers did NOT recommend Oasis to run this school. That decision, against the advice of officers, teachers and parents was taken by Councillor Peter Baillie and his Conservative colleagues. If anyone should be falling on his sword it should be Mr Baillie. +
donde
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4:51pm Mon 24 Nov 08
mayfield_student
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4:55pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Bright Spark
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5:01pm Mon 24 Nov 08
allotment lover
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5:24pm Mon 24 Nov 08
MattProbert
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6:01pm Mon 24 Nov 08
sally208
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6:14pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Mr E Guest wrote:No doubt she the school will be outstanding in 3 to 4 years time, but that doesn't help the students now! Will they be called back to be re-educated?
What a pity, OAM have lost an excellent leader with a brilliant track record of turning struggling schools around.
gristle
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7:26pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Pompey Girl
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7:27pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Mrs Bee
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7:28pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Condor Man
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7:42pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Who's to blame? Low standards in behaviour start at home. Low standards of attainment start at home. In a few years time we'll see if Sure Start has worked, at the moment it's clear that parents don't prepare their children for school, don't support schools and then moan when their kids leave at 16 with bugger all.
Pompey Girl
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7:47pm Mon 24 Nov 08
thesaint
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7:58pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Pompey Girl wrote:what can you do when the teacher is not up to teach.
In addition to my previous post. The children at Mayfield need to go to an army boot camp not a school. The parents need teaching how to be parents. Its disgusting, and the teachers who spent their time in the staff room moaning about how they were disliked the new procedures should have supported the Leadership Team. The parents who do not support the staff of a school when their children misbehave should be held to blame. They should be teaching their children how to respect their teachers not encourage them to riot in school.
you can not sack them and replace them with good teachers, that is the problem with a lot of schools.
pay the good teachers more based on real results and sack the bad teachers.
keiran33
says...
8:24pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Pompey Girl wrote:Just like ruth johnson do you know her poersonaly by any chance, my son attends the grove park site and is very well behaved and works hard, so how dare you blame the parents.there was no education at the school, and no discipline, the only discipline was school uniform. So if theres no discipline in place in the school whos to blame.Glad to see the back of her just like cantell school was.
In addition to my previous post. The children at Mayfield need to go to an army boot camp not a school. The parents need teaching how to be parents. Its disgusting, and the teachers who spent their time in the staff room moaning about how they were disliked the new procedures should have supported the Leadership Team. The parents who do not support the staff of a school when their children misbehave should be held to blame. They should be teaching their children how to respect their teachers not encourage them to riot in school.
wilko
says...
8:26pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Lets hope that the new school leadership are able to provide the fantastic pupils that they have with level of education that they deserve (and were promised), and that the remaining staff finally get the support from the leadership that they must have to be able to do their jobs effectively.
Bright Spark
says...
8:31pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Pompey Girl wrote:go for it Portsmiff Girl you tell 'em. too many parents have complained that their kids have been expelled for bad behaviour. "My little Ronnie wouldn't do this and that, he's an angel, the head mistress is wrong" sort of thing. Not only should they be banned from the school, they should be birched, and so should the children!
In addition to my previous post. The children at Mayfield need to go to an army boot camp not a school. The parents need teaching how to be parents. Its disgusting, and the teachers who spent their time in the staff room moaning about how they were disliked the new procedures should have supported the Leadership Team. The parents who do not support the staff of a school when their children misbehave should be held to blame. They should be teaching their children how to respect their teachers not encourage them to riot in school.
Year10Kid
says...
8:40pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Year10Kid
says...
8:41pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Year10Kid wrote:Yeahh i ment get ks3 and ks4 on just the grove site, not both sites =]
Haaaa! Waheeeeey,, the wicked witch has gone!, maybe some teachers will withdraw their resignations now, our school is gunna get a little better now.. all that hard work she put in to the academy and now its all gone to waste to be honest...she's a failure basically... we all got told this academy was gunna be amazing and all discaplined and **** but hell no! weren't we wrong!. Next on the agender, get both ks4 and ks3 on both sites =] haa
Priscilla02
says...
9:15pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Pompey Girl wrote:Having never met Ruth Johnson I don't feel qualified to comment on her attempts to integrate the two schools. However, I think Pompey Girl has made some valid points. I completed a 4 month placement on my teacher training year in 2005 at what was then Weston Park Boys' School. As a mature entrant to the teaching profession with one secondary school-aged child of my own I was horrified by the experience. Ill-discipline abounded. I was sworn at on a daily basis and my complaints to the Head fell on deaf ears. Whilst there were reasonably polite and well-mannered boys who did want to learn, they were very much in the minority. I almost turned my back on the teaching profession as a direct result of my experiences. Is a return to that type of atmosphere really what the parents want?
Ok have read the spurious comments about the Academy. Let me tell you all a few home truths having worked with Ruth Johnson prior to September. This woman has worked every hour under the sun to ensure that the two schools that became Mayfield Academy were improved from the cess pits that they were into to as decent as possible condition with the funds she was given. Ruth faced opposition from the local authorities, students and parents alike and despite all of this she fought to improve conditions and teaching standards at the Academy. If teachers have left it is because they cannot cope with the fact that they are being made resposible for the students results. There have been some excellent policies put into place to improve behaviour and student results. The problem is that the students cannot cope with being given discipline and the previous heads took any child whatever their behavioural background before he left. The teaching staff have inherited a bunch of unruly students who were allowed to totally wreck their school by the teachers as the old school was closing. The so called parents who allow their children to act in this way in school should be brought to task. As they should have been supporting the head and her staff to try and improve standards not wind their children up so that they rampage in school its disgusting. Shame on the parents and the students of Mayfield Academy you don't know what a brilliant Head you have lost. !!!!!!!!
I have taught for the last four years at another Southampton school that serves a catchment with a high level of deprivation. Many of the pupils have unsettled home lives, and yet I have never once been subjected to the abuse or total lack of respect shown to me during my placement at what is now Oasis Mayfield. My school is led by a strong head and we have an excellent behaviour management policy. Be careful what you wish for Mayfield parents & pupils; I doubt this is the bright new dawn some of you think it will be.
SouthamptonMan
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9:18pm Mon 24 Nov 08
shocked:s
says...
9:53pm Mon 24 Nov 08
How can you discuss the lack of discipline, when the minute she tried to introduce any form of different rules (because those in place before were clearly ineffective) parents and students alike created uproar! Also, just to set the record straight, there were very few people at Cantell who were glad to see the back of her, because despite the opinions of many of you, she is a fantastic Headteacher and responsible for putting Cantell back on the straight and narrow! Perhaps one day the Oasis can be helped, although between the Oasis, parents, students and the Daily Echo, you seem to have cemented the fate of the school..
keiran33
says...
10:11pm Mon 24 Nov 08
keiran33 wrote:And by the way when the school was run by mr freeman there were no problems like this, the kids got on with the work they were given, at least they were getting education.
shocked:s wrote: How can you discuss the lack of discipline, when the minute she tried to introduce any form of different rules (because those in place before were clearly ineffective) parents and students alike created uproar! Also, just to set the record straight, there were very few people at Cantell who were glad to see the back of her, because despite the opinions of many of you, she is a fantastic Headteacher and responsible for putting Cantell back on the straight and narrow! Perhaps one day the Oasis can be helped, although between the Oasis, parents, students and the Daily Echo, you seem to have cemented the fate of the school..Thats strange becuase i saw a comment from a teacher that was at cantell the same time as she was, stateing she treated all the staff like sh... and the=y were glad to see her gone, if there was any sort of discilpine in the school then how come that kids were running riot in the classrooms and teachers saw it were turning a blind eye.
Condor Man
says...
10:32pm Mon 24 Nov 08
noel999
says...
10:37pm Mon 24 Nov 08
Bright Spark wrote:you actual losers.
Pompey Girl wrote: In addition to my previous post. The children at Mayfield need to go to an army boot camp not a school. The parents need teaching how to be parents. Its disgusting, and the teachers who spent their time in the staff room moaning about how they were disliked the new procedures should have supported the Leadership Team. The parents who do not support the staff of a school when their children misbehave should be held to blame. They should be teaching their children how to respect their teachers not encourage them to riot in school.go for it Portsmiff Girl you tell 'em. too many parents have complained that their kids have been expelled for bad behaviour. "My little Ronnie wouldn't do this and that, he's an angel, the head mistress is wrong" sort of thing. Not only should they be banned from the school, they should be birched, and so should the children!
just another one
says...
10:52pm Mon 24 Nov 08
just think about it !!
parent01
says...
11:41pm Mon 24 Nov 08
1 - Ruth Johnson is good at figures, paperwork and systems; however teaching and running schools are people related jobs and from personal experience she lacks that ability (and certainly has the knack for rubbing people up the wrong way)
2 - The staff are the biggest, most expensive resource in any school. They also tend to be well-educated and know their market value so feel no guilt about going for other jobs (if they are not being backed up that is). Staff retention is crucial to the success of any school so it's a good idea to get on with them.
3 - Parents: It is also your job to send kids to school in the right frame of mind (value education, future aspirations, courtesy towards others). Very easy to blame others for your child and a lack of success, but I have seen immigrant pupils with limited English arrive at the start of Year 11 and leave with 5+ C Grades. They tend to be the sort of kids who say "I am here and want to go to university to be a doctor etc". It's not rocket science, just hard work and future dreams that are needed.
Gutted to see all that's happened to Weston Park over the years, loved teaching there (and hated it from time to time)
julie burns
says...
12:00am Tue 25 Nov 08
Jordan returned to school today after nearly 6 weeks without an education. His chance for his apprentichip is within sight again... I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported Jordan and myself through the last 6 weeks..
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