Students at Pimlico Academy in London stage protest over new headteacher’s ‘racist’ uniform policy

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Mutiny erupted at a London school today as pupils protested against the new head’s ‘back to basics’ regime, with calls for u-turns on policies to toughen up discipline and adopt a traditional history curriculum emphasising kings and queens – as teachers caved in to demands to take down the Union flag.    

Hundreds of pupils and parents gathered outside Pimlico Academy this morning holding Black Lives Matter flags and chanting ‘we want change’ as several police officers watched on. The protest – which took place just three weeks after schools returned – was originally meant to take place on a football pitch in the grounds, but this was allegedly locked shut by staff. 

Opposition, which includes staff threats to strike, was originally focused on a uniform regime, introduced by new head Daniel Smith last August that banned hairstyles that ‘block people’s view’. Critics claimed this would penalise Muslims and people with Afro hairstyles at a school where three quarters of children are from ethnic minorities. 

But the rebellion has now extended to include other policies viewed as ‘discriminatory’ by the protesters, including changes to the history curriculum to make it more chronological, which protesters say emphasises white kings and queens over BAME figures. 

The British flag was removed and burnt by pupils in September before being put back up, and on the weekend anti-flag graffiti appeared on the school walls reading ‘Ain’t no black in the Union Jack’, ‘White schools for brown kids are u mad’ and ‘Pimlico Academy…run by racists…for profit’. 

A new uniform policy ushered in by head teacher Daniel Smith last year, which stated that hairstyles that ‘block the view of others’ would not be allowed and hijabs ‘should not be too colourful’ sparked agitation that came to a head on the last day of term.

National Education Union (NEU) members from Pimlico Academy on Tuesday night ‘overwhelmingly passed a motion of no confidence in the head teacher and to move towards a ballot for industrial action’, an NEU spokeswoman said.

An indicative ballot is scheduled to be held after the Easter break, which could potentially lead to strikes.

The NEU said since Mr Smith took over as principal last September, the entire senior leadership team at the school has resigned.

The school is run by Future Academies, a multi-academy trust which was set up by Conservative peer Lord Nash, who is on the board with his stockbroker wife Caroline. They are both on the local governing body for Pimlico Academy along with Paul Smith, Sarah Richardson and Daniel Woodruffe.   

Protesters at the school – ranked ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted at the last inspection in 2011 – today released an extraordinary statement railing against ‘racism, Islamophobia and transphobia’ and said they were also angry about the lack of recognition for Black Lives Matter or Black History Month. 

In a long list of demands, they complained about changes to the uniform policy, including an alleged ban on ‘colourful’ hijabs, and claimed that a transgender boy had had been forced to do PE with girls.  

The list was presented to senior staff by six protesters. The trio of leadership figures, which included headteacher Daniel Smith, CEO of Future Academies Paul Smith and vice-principal Tony Oulton, agreed to the demands and took down the Union flag pending a review. 

Other changes will be made when pupils return after the Easter break, a statement from Mr Smith said. 

Future Academies founder Lord Nash had a career in venture capital before serving as a Conservative Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and joined the House of Lords in 2013.

His wife, Lady Nash, is a co-chair of governors, and together they run the ‘Curriculum Centre’, which began working with Pimlico Academy in 2012 and helps decide what pupils will be taught across the academy chain. 

The programme centres on a traditional education, including ‘ancient history’ and ‘British history’. Over the last two years, it has launched common curriculum programmes in English Literature, English grammar, history, science, maths and Latin. 

The Future Academies’ curriculum is based upon seven principles of curriculum design, tailoring programmes to be ‘knowledge-rich, ‘domain-specific’, ‘coherent’, ‘cumulative’, ‘academically challenging’, ‘written with memory in mind’, and ‘written for novices, not experts’. 

Its ‘British History’ programme, available on the Future Academies website, outlines a study plan for ‘Great Events and People from British History’, from ‘Augustine’s Mission’ to ‘The Trial and Execution of Charles I’.

It covers significant events and individuals which have shaped the country, including Alfred the Great; The Norman Conquest; Henry II and Thomas Becket; Richard the Lionheart and Saladin the Merciful; and King John and Magna Carta. Also included are Edward I and the Conquest of Wales; The Peasants’ Revolt; Henry’s ‘Great Matter’; The Spanish Armada; and The Gunpowder Plot.

A teacher at Pimlico Academy who resigned and is set to leave this year told The Guardian that staff were feeling demoralised and had fundamental disagreements with some of the choices made by the academy trust’s leadership.

She said that she could no longer work at a school that no longer reflected her values. Roughly two weeks ago the entire geography department handed in their notices to show solidarity with a colleague who had been dismissed earlier in the year, it has been claimed.

The teacher said: ‘It is heartbreaking to know that so many exceptional teachers will be leaving at the end of the school year. Many feel their hand has been forced as their own values are no longer in line with the senior leaders in school.

She added: ‘Pimlico has a proud history of celebrating its diverse community, so to have a situation where young people do not feel represented, and staff voices are not being heard, is very sad.’

Speaking this morning, one female student in year 12 said she had been inspired by Black Lives Matter to ‘speak out’ over the ‘abrupt’ changes to school policies since Mr Smith arrived in July 2020. ‘In light of Black Lives Matter, we do think that it was a responsibility of the students to speak to them and show support, as it was a very traumatic time for many of us,’ she told The Guardian. 

Even teachers have joined the uprising against Mr Smith, with up to 30 said to be planning to leave at the end of the year, and a vote of no confidence in him by the National Education Union last night. It is not clear if any teachers attended the protest today. 

Mr Smith had emailed parents to say the last day before the Easter holidays would continue as normal. But with hundreds of students refusing to attend lessons parents were sent another email informing them the school would close at lunchtime. Year groups were sent home on a staggered basis with the school gates locked by 2pm.

It is the latest of a wave of demonstrations to hit British schools in recent weeks, which have included protests over ‘rape culture’ and an uprising by parents at Batley Grammar School in Yorkshire over its decision to show cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.   

Some parents have also backed the protests, with one mother with two sons in year 9 and 11 saying the school had gone ‘downhill’ since the new headteacher joined. 

She said one of her sons got a detention because his Afro hair was deemed to break the school dress code. A second parent claimed racism was ‘rife’. 

The school has since said press coverage of pupils discontent provided an opportunity for reflection, for ‘engagement in constructive dialogue’ and ‘action for change’.   

Mr Smith marked his arrival in July with a punchy open letter to parents, in which he repeated the phrase ‘it is your responsibility’ three times in one paragraph while discussing the need for parents to ensure their children complete homework, dress properly and support the academy leadership. 

Former pupils at the school include Chelsea footballer Tammy Abraham, PR executive Matthew Freud and comedian Mo Gilligan.  

Non-students joined in the action today, with parents pictured outside the school gates, including one holding a placard which read: ‘I stand with Pimlico students.’

Police officers were also seen on the premises. 

The sit-down protest came following reports that a senior member of staff had asked pupils to cancel the action the day before, but this only made the teenagers more determined to take part. 

The same flag was previously taken down and burned by pupils last September.

Students claim that concerns over the flag, and recognition of Black Lives Matter or Black History Month have also been repeatedly ignored by school bosses. 

In a petition, the students claimed the uniform policy would penalise Muslims and those with afro hairstyles and demanded a change. 

A statement accompanying the petition said: ‘We as students have the right to express ourselves however we choose, and also have the right to have our natural hair weather it be big hair small hair or loads of facial hair or no facial hair. We should be able to show our shoulders without ‘distracting the boys’.

 

‘We should be able to wear jewellery as some can be sentimental. We should be able to wear any coloured Hijabs we want as its part of a lot of people’s religion. 

‘We should be able to have a clothing option for people who don’t want to conform to a gender. We should be able to wear as much make up as we like as it improves self confidence.

‘From year 11 up, we are more worried about what is going to happen to exams and grades. We don’t want clothing changes, we want reassurance for our learning. 

‘We still have no idea what’s going to happen during this pandemic, yet we know what clothes we can and cannot wear? This only adds more pressure to us to get new clothes and conform to the dress code.’ 

One pupil told the Guardian ahead of the protest: ‘We believe the school has unfairly targeted groups of students. 

‘The school should protect marginalised races, religions and other groups instead of target them. 

‘We should see ourselves and our backgrounds represented in our studies.’ 

Meanwhile a teacher, who has handed in her resignation at the school, told the site she felt staff voices were not being heard.  

Future Academies said: ‘This morning Pimlico Academy saw a protest by some students. The majority of students were in classrooms studying as usual throughout the protest.

It is with regret that these matters have come to a head in such a public way. We want to take this opportunity to reassure parents that this is an isolated event, and we are working to resolve the issues raised. We apologise to all children, families and staff for the disruption today.’ 

Daniel Smith said today following the protests: ‘This morning at Pimlico Academy a student protest took place in the playground. This caused disruption to learning with students taking part in the protest not attending lessons but all students were at all times safe and supervised by staff. Students who did not take part in the protest were able to go to classrooms where they were supervised by staff.

The issue of the flying of the Union flag was discussed at length. We acknowledge that this symbol is a powerful one which evokes often intense reactions. We have listened to the concerns of students, parents and the wider community about it. After Easter, we will conduct a review of this and, as part of that, consult with all the academy’s stakeholders to elicit their feedback. In the meantime, and until that review is concluded, the Union flag will not be flown at the academy.’