Strikes are continuing at a school where staff are taking industrial action over government plans to turn it into an academy.
And a senior councillor has spoken out over a move to force Byron Court Primary School to become an academy after it was rated ‘inadequate’ by education watchdog Ofsted last year.
Schools that receive the lowest rating must become academies under national government policy, and the Wembley school may join the Harris Trust academy chain as early as September.
Many parents oppose the move, and staff in the National Education Union (NEU) picketed outside Byron Court on May 17, with strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and more planned from June 4 to 6.
NEU Brent secretary Jenny Cooper said: “We will not be stopping this fight any time soon as there is too much at stake here and we know we have the support of the community. Gillian Keegan (MP and Secretary of State for Education) knows what she can do: commission a reinspection and pause the academy order; this could resolve our dispute.”
Placards for Byron Court Academisation Protest. If the DfE order goes ahead, the school will come under control of Harris Multi-Academy Trust. Image Credit: Guillermo Lloret Farina. Permission to use with all LDRS partners
The strikes coincide with SAT exams for those in Year 6.
The NEU have noted they are aimed specifically at the DfE and not Brent Council, which has publicly backed calls for academisation to stop and the school to be reinspected.
Brent Council's cabinet member for children, young people and schools, Cllr Gwen Grahl, called the DfE decision "draconian" and has written to the DfE and the Secretary of State to oppose it.
Cllr Gwen Grahl. Brent Council\'s Cabinet Member for Schools, Cllr Gwen Grahl, called the measures \'draconian\'. Image Credit: Brent Council. Permission to use with all LDRS partners
Addressing a recent cabinet meeting (April 8), Cllr Grahl noted that the council "cannot oppose or even delay" the process.
Cllr Grahl told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Allowing the school longer to effect improvements and giving Byron Court the opportunity for reinspection prior to proceeding with academisation proposals is likely to resolve the current industrial dispute and provide reassurance to families and school staff during a tumultuous period for all.
“Byron Court is a much-loved community school and academisation remains deeply unpopular among families and staff. The local authority has quickly put extensive recourse to forced academisation. It is clear that legislation surrounding forced academisation is disenfranchising communities and removing the valuable oversight of local authorities.”
Cllr Grahl has requested a meeting with the minister for the school system and student finance, Baroness Diana Barran, to discuss the situation further. According to the DfE, seven out of ten schools which became academies due to underperformance in inspections while they were local authority-maintained now have a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating.
A spokesperson told the LDRS: “Strike action is damaging to pupils’ learning and disruptive for parents. Children’s education has always been our priority and they should be in classrooms where they belong.”
They added: “As with any school that receives an overall judgement of inadequate, Byron Court Primary School will become an academy and be transferred to a strong trust – with a strong track record of ensuring pupils receive the highest standard of education.”
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