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Upfront

London fights off academies

 … in Brent

Following leafleting and a demonstration by teachers outside Claremont High School in Brent on 29 June, the school’s governing body decided to reject the head teacher’s plans to convert to academy status.

As well as having serious misgivings about the possible change of status, the teachers were furious that Head Terry Molloy announced his intentions in the local press without fully consulting staff, governors or parents. NUT, ATL and NASUWT members were united, with union reps calling the move an attack on democracy.

Meeting that evening, the governing body decided not to express interest in pursuing academy status, but to continue to explore the wider implications of becoming an academy.

… Ealing

Five Ealing schools – Berrymede Junior, Cardinal Wiseman High, Dormers Wells High, Featherstone High and Greenford High (the first four of which have been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted) – have all agreed not to pursue academy status. 

Stefan Simms of Ealing NUT reports that so far no Ealing school has applied to become an academy. The NUT has held meetings in all but four of the borough’s ‘outstanding’ schools explaining the Union’s opposition to the Government’s academy proposals.

… and Lewisham

Parents at Tidemill Primary School in Deptford, London, organised a campaign after discovering that the head teacher was planning to convert to academy status with virtually no consultation.

On 19 July, parents were handed a letter saying the governors would be consulting for two months (ie in the summer holidays) over whether to become an academy. Acting fast, a group of parents made sure leaflets opposing the plan were given out at the school gates before the end of term and, with the support of the NUT and the Anti Academies Alliance, held an inaugural meeting of Tidemill Parents Against Academies over the summer.

As we went to press, they were organising a public meeting, leafleting campaign and petition.

Success at Crest 

Teachers at Crest Boys’ Academy in Brent celebrated victory this summer in a dispute over redundancies.

Despite reassurances from controversial academy sponsors EACT that there would be no job losses when it took over the school last year, nine teachers were earmarked to go.

NUT and NASUWT members at the school took strike action in April. Just days before further action was due in June, the issue of compulsory redundancies was resolved.

Brent NUT Secretary Hank Roberts said: “This was a magnificent display of union unity in action.”

Unions unite to oppose restructuring

NUT, NASUWT and ATL members took strike action on 8 July, after Cadbury Sixth Form College imposed a staffing structure that teachers say will downgrade jobs and threaten education.

The two-day strike took place in the third week of the dispute. Unions are angry that the proposals are being pushed through without agreement. While many staff face significant pay cuts, the salaries of the four top college managers are unaffected by the ‘pastoral and management’ restructure.

Planned changes at the Birmingham college include a huge reduction in the number of teaching posts responsible for subjects and courses, and a cut in time to carry out management roles. Staff believe the changes could leave courses running without senior teachers who have the subject knowledge to manage them.

The unions have repeatedly asked for a meeting with Chair of Governors Bob Michel, but so far he has refused. Staff want the restructuring halted so further talks can take place to agree a structure that will have teachers’ confidence and improve the quality of education.

The lunch bunch

Around 150 fourth year teaching students celebrated their final day at the University of Cumbria on 22 June with lunch at the Lancaster Campus. The event was arranged by Sam Ud-din, District NUT Secretary, and Martin Fisher, NUT North West Regional Officer, gave a talk about teachers’ conditions of service. The students enjoyed a post-lunch karaoke session.