Staff at Copland Community School in Wembley strike today over academy plans
Copland teachers striking over proposed academy plans last month - Credit: Archant
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.
You may also want to watch:
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.
Most Read
- 1 Queen's Park nursery forced to close following damning Ofsted report
- 2 Born and bred Brent residents now priced out of £6.5m homes
- 3 'LTN’s have been foisted upon us by a council who will not listen to its residents'
- 4 Pink mob: Two Harlesden women among gang jailed for drug offences valued at £2million
- 5 QPR determined to remain among Championship front-runners
- 6 QPR boss Mark Warburton unfazed by prospect of losing Ilias Chair
- 7 Two schoolboys arrested after community officer 'assaulted' in Wembley
- 8 Boys, 14, charged with assaulting community officer
- 9 The Chase's Dark Destroyer makes Covid vaccine film with Brent Council
- 10 Top Boy actor Bashy returns to Harlesden school to surprise pupils
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.
