Councils 'should be given power to monitor schools'

Michael Gove and Ofsted head Sir Michael Wilshaw have been accused of "demonising" communities affected by the 'Trojan Horse' investigation into schools in Birmingham.

David Hughes, a governor at Park View School, said people in his area felt "frightened, betrayed and let down" by the way the investigation has been conducted.

All three schools run by Park View Educational Trust - of which Mr Hughes is a vice chairman - have been placed into special measures following Ofsted inspections into a suspected takeover of schools by hardline Muslims.

Mr Hughes wrote a strongly worded open letter to Mr Gove and Sir Michael, saying: "I find it astounding that you are now so vehement in condemning us as negligent and derelict in our duties at best, and dangerous at worst."

"You have some very angry communities now who feel frightened, betrayed and let down by the way you have exploited the Trojan Horse hoax and demonised them," he added.

Read: Councils 'need more powers to monitor schools'

Parents are "frustrated" that their local councils cannot intervene where there are concerns about schools' performance, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

Cllr David Simmonds, chairman of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, said: "Parents deserve a local organisation to act as a first port of call if they are not satisfied with the response from their child's school or its governing body.

"Mums and dads concerned about their children's education will always turn to their local council for help. But they are rightly becoming increasingly frustrated when their council is unable to intervene."

Read: Promoting 'British values': Why is Magna Carta important?

Councils should be given more powers to monitor schools and intervene where there are concerns, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.

The call follows recent Ofsted reports raising concerns about pupils at several Birmingham schools being inadequately protected against extremist views.

The LGA said the move would "help to rebuild both parent and pupil confidence".

In a new pledge to promote "core British values," the Prime Minister said that opponents of democracy, equality and tolerance have been allowed to flourish.

More: PM tells teachers to 'promote British values'

Every child in Britain is to be taught about the Magna Carta as part of a Government drive to push British values in the wake of the controversy over Islamist influence on some Birmingham schools.

More: Gove adviser 'attended key Trojan Horse meeting' in 2010

David Cameron said extremism and division is flourishing in the UK because of a "worrying" failure to promote British values and he plans to use the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta – a year from today – to reassert them in a "Magna Carta for Modern Britain."

Writing in the Mail on Sunday he said Britain’s "belief in freedom, tolerance of others, accepting personal and social responsibility, respecting and upholding the rule of law" are vital and "as British as the Union Flag, football and fish and chips."

He said it was "not an option" for anyone living in this country not to live by them.

Teachers have been told by Education Secretary Michael Gove that they must "actively promote British values".