What happens when external organisations fall out on school premises

What was the issue addressed?

We have had a dispute in the school with regard to two bodies providing out of school hours provision for the children. They both share the same premises. The managers of these bodies do notcooperate. This has resulted in an ongoing dispute involving legal issues which has had to be dealt with by the Local Authority.

The issue was made more difficult because it involved one governor who was a manager of one of the organisations, resulting in claims of conflict of interest.

What happened?

We received help from the LA in investigating a complaint relating to tension between the two organisations. It is at present with the legal department of the LA. One the governors was able to assist, drawing on their trade union background.

What lessons were learnt?

We have thus far failed to resolve the issue and it is in the hands of the local authority. Problems relating to conflicts of interest are problematic.

Reflections…

What things can your governing body do to prevent unexpected issues relating to conflicts of interest?

Has your school ever encountered problems resulting from tensions between external organisations providing services on school property? If so, what did you do to resolve these?

Have your say…

Have you had experiences similar to these? What do you think about the situation described?