Members of the National Education Union (NEU) at Southborough Primary School, in Southborough Lane, began their action this morning, Monday, October 14.
The industrial action is in response to plans to transfer their employment to The Pioneer Academy Trust (TPA).
The school, which is currently part of the Aspiration For All Co-operative Trust (AFACT) federation with two other local authority Bromley schools, would face academisation if the transfer goes ahead.
According to the NEU website, academisation is an “irreversible process” that removes the school from local authority control.
The AFACT group claim it has “repeatedly offered their support” in finding new governance for Southborough, but that all their efforts have been “ignored” by Bromley Council and by the Interim Executive Board of the School.
Councillor Kate Lymer, Bromley Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Children, Education and Families said the council is “very disappointed” that the NEU has decided to take strike action despite “full engagement” by the IEB as employer.
She added: “Our overriding priority is to ensure all pupils receive high quality education in a strong and successful school.
“We call on the NEU to reverse their decision and avert the regrettable disruption of this strike action on busy families and on children’s education.”
Southborough Primary School teachers have been on the picket line this morning from 7am to 9.30am.
The NEU has been calling for an extension of the consultation process and for all options to be considered.
Concerns have been raised about the implications of academisation, listed on the NEU website, these include:
• Joining a multi-academy trust (MAT) is irreversible and offers no protection from future transfers to another MAT.
• Once a school is part of a MAT, it cannot voluntarily leave to re-join the local authority or join another MAT.
• If the MAT trust collapses, is forced to give up the school, or is removed by the government, the school will be transferred to a new trust, with parents and staff having no say in the decision.
• Academy trusts are also said to be less accountable to parents and the community.
• Information about schools under MATs can be harder for parents and local people to obtain, and academy trusts may not communicate enough about decisions that affect the schools they manage and how public money is being spent.
• Academies risk losing automatic support from the local authority, meaning services for special educational needs, school improvement, and speech and language therapy could all be lost.
Other reported issues include a higher likelihood of being taught by unqualified teachers, according to the NEU website.
The percentage of teachers without qualified teacher status in academies is reportedly rising compared with local authority schools.
On its website, Southborough Primary School says to be a “welcoming, calm, friendly, inclusive and nurturing environment”, that commits to enabling all the children in its care to “reach and exceed their potential”.
Councillor Kate Lymer, Bromley Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Children, Education and Families said: “The local authority fully supports the work of the Interim Executive Board (IEB) at Southborough Primary School, which was approved by the Department for Education to address the serious concerns following a breakdown in leadership and governance at the school.
“We recognise the significant improvements in the quality of education overseen by the IEB, with the appointment of The Pioneer Academy providing further capacity and expertise to support the school’s continued improvement.
“The IEB has a responsibility to secure long term governance arrangements for the school and we support its efforts to achieve this, in the best interest of pupils and the wider school community.
“We are very disappointed that the NEU has decided to take strike action despite full engagement by the IEB as employer.
“Our overriding priority is to ensure all pupils receive high quality education in a strong and successful school. We call on the NEU to reverse their decision and avert the regrettable disruption of this strike action on busy families and on children’s education.”
