Teachers strike at Birmingham school over academy plan
Teachers at a Birmingham secondary school are striking in protest at plans to turn it into an academy in June.
Members of the National Union of Teachers at Hamstead Hall School, Handsworth Wood, are worried as it will take it out of local authority control. In a statement on its website, the school said it believes becoming an academy will benefit the children and local community. On Thursday, the school is only open for years seven, 11, 12 and 13. Regional officer for the NUT, Martin O'Gilvie, said there will not be a "hostile picket line" and it will be "more of a celebration of state education". He said: "I worry that the academisation of schools is whittling away the comprehensive state education, that is something that a lot of teachers enter the profession [for] because they have a great belief in. "There are concerns that the consultation process hasn't been full and proper." The open letter from the school also said that a successful application for academy status will enable it to participate in the next round of capital bid funding and apply for £500,000 to improve the school buildings and environment. The school will reopen as normal on Friday.