Teachers to strike over academy plan for failing Walsall school
Union bosses today said that plans to turn a failing school in Walsall into an academy should be put on hold for further inspections to be carried out, as its members prepared for strike action.
Bloxwich C of E Primary School was put into special measures after an Ofsted inspection last November and is hoping to gain academy status next year.
But it is claimed that many of the teaching staff at the school, in High Street, will take part in a strike tomorrow after union bosses claimed their concerns had not been listened to.
National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers' national executive member for the West Midlands, Paul Nesbitt said the school had been showing recent improvements and a decision to turn it into an academy should be put on hold.
He said staff, who had concerns that decisions would be made by a small group of people if it turned into an academy, would be forming picket lines tomorrow morning outside the school.
The school will be closed to all pupils.
Mr Nesbitt said: "NASUWT has the majority of teaching staff at the school and is the only union taking action at the school but we have the full support of all the other trade unions within the school.
"It always a difficult decision to take any strike action but with the lack of genuine consultation and a refusal to listen to professional teachers by the management and governors, it is sometimes the only way left to our members to have their voices heard. NASUWT has tried to discuss the issue with both the governors and local authority but they believe that converting to an academy is the only way forward and it is too late to revert their decision.
"This is not the case and at our last meeting with the local authority NASUWT demonstrated that there are other genuine alternatives available."
He said bosses at the school should look at postponing the academisation process until further Ofsted inspections were carried out.
He added: "As a school that is closely linked to the community and parish church you would have expected the governing body to do everything it could to keep the school within the control of the local community and parish.
"It is therefore unfair that parents, children and teachers could face an uncertain future if a bad decision is made by a small selection of people.
"Teachers are not afraid of change, change is inevitable but we have a right to challenge the way it is conducted. Our action will send out a clear message to the senior management and governors that our members will not take this lying down."
Interim headteacher Chris Tuff, who recently stepped into the role, said: "The school will be closed to all pupils tomorrow.
"Many of the teaching staff will be taking action over concerns in the academisation process. The aim is for it to go through in January.
"The governors have decided to recommend the school becomes an academy. There is uncertainty amongst the workforce. People, with any change, feel vulnerable. It is a worrying time for staff and it's our job to reassure them."
