Anger as Union flag is taken down from outside race row school

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Tory MPs reacted with fury today after the headmaster of a London school agreed to take down the Union flag after pupils staged a Black Lives Matter-inspired mass protest – which also demanded a change to ‘racist’ uniform rules  and a review of the curriculum that ‘focuses on white kings and queens’. 

MP for Harrow East Bob Blackman told MailOnline the situation at Pimlico Academy was ‘bizarre and ridiculous’, adding: ‘It is totally unacceptable to have a position whereby the flag of our country is not allowed to fly above public buildings.’ 

Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, said: ‘At a time when we are trying our very best to bring the country together after the problems with Brexit and coming out of the pandemic, it is very sad to see that this school feels it appropriate not to support the Union flag.

‘It is a symbol of the UK. It brings all four nations together. We should never forget that. To tear flags down, to say you don’t want the flag flying on your building, is very divisive and it is not what we’re looking for at this moment in time.’

Pimlico Academy has been at the centre of a mutiny by students and teachers alike this week over new head teacher Daniel Smith’s ‘back to basics’ regime overseen by the school’s parent academy chain, which is chaired by the Conservative peer Lord Nash, 72.

Changes introduced after Mr Smith’s arrival last September included banning hairstyles that ‘block people’s view’ and hijabs that are ‘too colourful’. Critics claimed this was discriminatory against Muslims and people with Afro hairstyles at the school, where three quarters of children are from ethnic minorities. 

The rebellion has also extended to include other policies claimed to be ‘discriminatory’, including changes to the history curriculum to make it more chronological, which protesters said emphasised white kings and queens over BAME figures. They were also angry about the lack of recognition for Black Lives Matter and Black History Month. 

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

The rebellion is a significant challenge to traditional Conservative education reforms emphasising discipline and academic rigour similar to those promoted by Michael Gove when he was Education Secretary. 

Several protesters have specifically credited the Black Lives Matter movement for inspiring the protest, and some of the hundreds of pupils and parents who gathered outside the school yesterday carried BLM banners amid chants of ‘we want change’. 

Opposition is also being led by the notoriously militant National Education Union, whose members from Pimlico Academy on Tuesday night ‘overwhelmingly’ passed a motion of no confidence in Mr Smith. Some 30 teachers are said to be on the brink of quitting and an indicative ballot that could lead to strikes will be held after Easter. 

The academy’s Oxford-educated headmaster Daniel Smith – who protesters want to be sacked – has now acquiesced to some of the pupils’ demands and even praised the demonstrators, saying the flag will come down ‘pending a review’. 

The new uniform policy, brought in by Mr Smith last year, decreed that hairstyles which ‘block the view of others’ would not be allowed and hijabs ‘should not be too colourful’. The policy has now been changed to simply say that hair should be ‘neat and tidy’. 

The school was rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2011, but has not been inspected since due to the organisation’s previous policy of exempting top-rated schools from regular inspections. Had any serious concerns been raised to Ofsted from 2011 to the present date another inspection would have been ordered, MailOnline understands. 

Protesters at the school yesterday released a 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 a 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. 

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 as a life peer 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. 

Future Academies took over the school itself in 2008, and appear to have been successful in turning it around, with its Ofsted status improving from ‘failing’ before they took over to ‘outstanding’ in 2011.  

Daniel Smith took over as principal in September last year while his predecessor, Samantha Green, was elevated to the new role of executive principal. 

A series of changes including revisions to the history curriculum, a stricter uniform policy and the decision to fly the Union flag all year round sparked opposition from some parents and pupils.   

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.’

As executive principal, Samantha Green now oversees the implementation of a ‘knowledge-led curriculum’ at the school. 

The curriculum has been designed with input from Future Academies’ Curriculum Centre.   

Its 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’ syllabus, 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. 

Mr Smith said in a statement last night: ‘The right to protest is a civil liberty which, in the United Kingdom, we all enjoy, one that was hard fought-for and which not everyone in the world is fortunate to have. 

‘Our students are bright, courageous, intelligent young people, passionate about the things that matter to them and acutely attuned to injustice. I admire them hugely for this though I regret that it came to this.’

He added: ‘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.’ 

Mr Smith added that the ‘current affairs’ aspect of the PSHE curriculum will now ensure that students are able to discuss issues that are ‘truly current’. 

He went on: ‘Sixth Form student representatives raised concerns about certain aspects of the academy’s Uniform Policy. I was able to reassure students that their previous representations on these points had been the motivation for reflection which, in turn, resulted in revision to the relevant polices taking place. These redrafted policies are the ones I shared with you this morning and remain available to download below.’   

Speaking on Wednesday 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. 

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, 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. 

One pupil told the Guardian ahead of yesterday’s 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. 

A change.org petition calling for Pimlico Academy to halt dress code changes for all year groups reached more than 1,000 signatures.

It said that changing the sixth form dress code ‘would be acceptable if not for current circumstances’, as many pupils have already bought clothing and cannot afford to re-shop – adding that some are still wary of trying on new clothes in shops amid the Covid pandemic.

It continued: ‘Also, younger years (7-11) and some which also apply to Sixth Form are now faced with a lot of discriminatory changes, such as no facial hair, no makeup until Sixth Form and only then subtle make up, hijabs have to be black however the boys suits and girls blouses can be multicoloured, no big or long hair, girls cannot wear ‘revealing’ clothes that show their shoulders.

‘There are many more factors around things such as jewellery as well. There is not option for non-binary students either.

‘We as students have the right to express ourselves however we choose, and also have the right to have our natural hair whether it be big hair small hair or loads of facial hair or no facial hair.’  

Future Academies said yesterday: ‘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.’