In Cahoots

On Friday 20 July, the Ham and High reported that "the £18.5 million expansion of Hampstead School has been officially opened by education secretary Damian Hinds".

Readers may recall that the Head is no stranger to inviting Government to walk all over him, as previously noted here. But of course such an experienced negotiator as our very own Headteacher wouldn't engage in such ceremonies did it not serve to satisfy his own thirst for publicity, even if it goes against what he has said about his school and the education system. Make no mistake about it, these publicity exchanges are exactly that, calculated exchanges for mutual benefit, political and personal.

A virtual tour of the new school buildings, complete with authentic 

silhouette students in a variety of authentic poses.

What's more, such exchanges afford opportunities for proclamations which, while not false, are misleading.

The Ham & High article.

"Hampstead can now boast", but should it? The new "super block" building actually has fewer classrooms than the old building, has only one canteen to the old one's four and was opened roughly 5 years late. "These new facilities allow sports, games, and more in a modern environment" - largely just as they could in the old building - the old school building had an outdoor astro-turf pitch, two basketball courts (as there are now, the only difference being that the astro-turf is somewhat larger) and a sports hall. 

Criticism should not miss Damian Hinds either, the man who has quietly continued the Conservatives' bonkers education policies on academies and grammars. Hinds opined in the article: "It was a great privilege to come here and open these fantastic new facilities," when it was his department and his government that originally cut the funding for a better, more well-thought-through project in 2010.

The article was not without a photo, one that managed to capture both the Head and Hinds walking their pet students, but almost none of the new build. Please send us your contributions for captions below: