MP to get petitions in Staffordshire academies row
Campaigners fighting to prevent two Staffordshire schools from becoming academies will hand petitions to Chase MP Aidan Burley next week.
The Parents' Action Group has so far gathered around 700 signatures opposing the plans for Norton Canes and Heath Hayes primary schools.
Parents and their children will march up to the Conservative MP's constituency office in High Green Court, Cannock, to present them on June 28. The move was agreed at a meeting last night of the group's steering committee, held at Wimblebury Community Centre in John Street, Wimblebury.
Pam Ferraby, a 44-year-old teacher whose 10-year-old son Benedict attends Heath Hayes Primary School, was appointed group secretary. She said: "In all the meetings we've had so far, everybody has been strongly against what is happening.
"In particular, the way academy status seems to be being forced on us is unfair.
"We are committed to our cause and we will fight it all the way."
The Department for Education is looking at replacing the board of governors at both schools with a view to turning them into sponsor-run academies. It comes after both schools were deemed to be failing by Ofsted inspectors and placed into special measures.
The action group says it is not necessarily opposed to the schools becoming academies, but it wants any decision to be made by the teachers, governors and parents.
Members also say they have been poorly informed about what the move would mean and have had to conduct their own research.
Following a meeting last week, Mr Burley criticised the Association of Head Teachers for scaremongering about academies.
