Staff at Copland Community School in Wembley strike today over academy plans

Staff from a secondary school in Wembley are striking for the fourth time today against controversial academy plans.

Workers at Copland Community School in Cecil Avenue, have staged a protest against the proposals which were announced in May after it was placed into special measures by Ofsted inspectors.

Under current government rules schools in special measures are converted into academies.

Under the plans the school will become an academy next September when it is placed in the hands of Ark who run an academy in nearby Forty Lane.

Delia Smith OBE, who is the principal of academy, will take on the role as executive head working with the school’s head teacher.

Staff at the school voted in favour today of a walkout.

Hand Roberts, a geography teacher at the school is also the Brent branch secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

He said: “We will continue to take industrial action to stop these plans being forced through.

“In Barking and Dagenham councillors voted unanimously to ballot parents over any plans to convert a school into an academy. It’s a pity Brent Council has not chosen to do so.”

Cllr Michael Pavely, Brent Council’s lead member for families, told the Times: “The needs of local children must come first. This means we have to drastically improve the quality of education at Copland.

“We have listened to parents and they want change. Now we must act. The needs of local children must come first - there is no time to waste.”

Copland is the last secondary school in Brent which is still under the council’s control.