Parents who won a campaign to prevent cuts to a primary school's deaf unit have called for its headteacher to be removed.
Laycock Primary School had previously proposed reducing the number of full-time staff at its deaf provision, placing the job of the head of the unit at risk.
But following a consultation into the proposed cuts, school governors announced on February 27 that the changes would no longer go ahead.
This followed a campaign by parents of children at the deaf unit, whose petition to halt the proposed cuts garnered more than 2,000 signatures in December.
More than 50 parents of deaf children at the school have signed a letter addressed to the school’s chair of governors and Islington Council’s directors of children’s services signalling that they “no longer have confidence” in its headteacher.
Marcus Evans, whose son is in reception at the deaf unit, said that there was an “incredible relief” among parents that the cuts would no longer be going ahead.
But he added that the process had been “disorientating and exhausting”, and that the cuts initially proposed would have done “immeasurable damage” to the “world-class” provision.
This, he said, had raised concerns among parents about the ability of the school’s current leadership to successfully manage the deaf unit.
And Giulia Bove, mother of Year 4 pupil Max, who is deaf and has ASD and ADHD, and Olivia in reception, agreed, saying: “It’s quite clear that the school needs to have leaders that understand the provision.
“The way they initially made the cuts was without any background from deaf education.
“We feel that we need new leadership and new governors because otherwise, we’re just going to go back to the same place.”
An Islington Council spokesperson said: “Islington Council is determined to give every child and young person in Islington the best start in life, including an excellent education, as we work to create a more equal future.
"This, of course, includes ensuring that hearing-impaired and deaf pupils are given the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential in a sustainable school environment.
“Like many schools across the country, Laycock Primary is facing increased financial pressures and a projected budget deficit this year.
"We respect the decision of its governing body and will continue to work closely with them and the headteacher on solutions that start with delivering high-quality education while ensuring the school also achieves a balanced budget.”
Announcing the outcome of the consultation, Laycock Primary School governors said: "The school continues to be in a serious financial position with a substantial deficit budget and will continue to work with the local authority and the school community to address this."
They called for "further evaluation and analysis" before decisions regarding the mainstream and the deaf provision.
They added: "We understand that this has been a difficult and uncertain time for all involved and would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation and thanks to our staff, parents and all stakeholders for their patience and co-operation throughout the process."
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