Six days of strikes against academy conversion

Teachers at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley, west Yorkshire, were set to strike on Thursday of this week.

It is the first of six planned strikes by workers in the NUT and NASUWT unions who are fighting plans to turn the school into an academy.

The proposals have caused chaos in the school and beyond. Governors are split on the issue. They voted for the plans by ten to nine last month—and nine have since resigned.

One of them is the deputy leader of Leeds City Council, Judith Blake. She accused the school of “riding roughshod over the views of people in the local community”.

There is widespread opposition to the plans among school workers and parents—who were denied a ballot on the issue. Two public meetings at the school saw almost unanimous votes against academy status.

NASUWT members have been engaged in industrial action against the plans since July. They have refused to carry out supervisory duties.

The academy conversion is set to take effect from 1 December this year.

Further strikes are planned for Wednesday and Thursday of next week, and for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the following week.

Rush messages of support to leedsnut@btconnect.com and to walshl09@leedslearning.net