Anti-academy strike at Montgomery Primary school

Staff at Montgomery Primary in Birmingham were on strike yesterday over plans to turn the school into an academy.

Submitted by Choccy on December 14, 2011

60 teachers and school support staff, went on strike yesterday at the school in Sparkbrook, Birmingham in protest at plans to convert to academy status.

NUT, NASUWT and GMB unions all voted for strike action, and parents are supportive.

These battles are becoming more and more common, with the exponential growth of academies. Bournville School staff showed that solidarity between workers and local community can defeat plans like these.

Solidarity with Montgomery Primary!

Comments

Steven.

12 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on December 15, 2011

Hey mate, really enjoying your more regular blogging!

Do you know if this was just a one-day stoppage or is there more action planned? Please do keep us informed as to how this progresses, and if they are successful

Just a short sub editing note that on a few of your articles I have changed the tag unions to strikes. The unions tag is for articles about the nature of trade unions; strikes is for all content about striking.

Choccy

12 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Choccy on December 15, 2011

Looks like it's gonna be discontinuous one-day strikes according to David Room, deputy general secretary of Brum NUT
“This I think was the biggest turnout at a school picket line anywhere in Birmingham in my memory during the past 10 years. “This is the first of a number of strikes and industrial action and meetings. We will prepare a rolling programme of strike action.”

Apparently there's a campaign group of parents angry at it being forced through without consultation and they're doing a petition of other parents in addition to the union action.

Chilli Sauce

12 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on December 15, 2011

Yeah, just to echo Steven, I've also been enjoying your blogs. Keep it up.

Choccy

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Choccy on January 25, 2012

Notice about public meeting tomorrow. I can't make it but I think Gypsy is going

'Montgomery Primary school is being forced to become an academy, a move which both teachers and parents are opposed to. In December, all staff went on strike, and were joined by parents on the picket line. They will be on strike again on the 25th January.
The following day, Parents at Montgoomery School have a public meeting:

Thursday 26th January 7.30pm-9pm
Community Hall, Sparkbrook Islamic Centre, Sydenham Road, Sparkbrook B11 1ND (Children welcome)'

Choccy

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Choccy on January 26, 2012

Been on local news the last few days
[youtube]dIOLcPiA6YA[/youtube]

gypsy

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by gypsy on January 26, 2012

Choccy

Been on local news the last few days
[youtube]9_5I-g9z7Z4[/youtube]

The other regional news channel aswell.

Chilli Sauce

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on January 26, 2012

Made it onto the BBC website today, too.

Chilli Sauce

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on January 30, 2012

Okay, so apparently a school in Brent, London was stopped from becoming an academy when, according to the local trades council:

Alperton High School governors stepped back from making an academy conversion decision after all teaching unions voted to strike if such a proposal went ahead. They will instead investigate the options.

I couldn't find much on this and the most I could find comes from some sort of Council blog (best I can tell anyway) and I don't really understand all the bits about co-ops schools:

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2012/01/brent-labour-takes-on-fight-for.html

Chilli Sauce

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on January 30, 2012

aight, let me send off an email.

Choccy

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Choccy on January 30, 2012

oh I've met that dude you sent the email to

Chilli Sauce

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on January 31, 2012

Yeah, branch sec, known my in-laws for years.

gypsy

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by gypsy on January 31, 2012

Gove is being questioned by the education comittee at the moment. As per usual with these things its all very chummy and jokes all round as Gove tears apart the future of education in England and Wales.

gypsy

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by gypsy on January 31, 2012

The MP’s parents had thought their son would become a church minister but after graduating he returned to Aberdeen to start work on a local newspaper.
Mr Gove joined other striking journalists on the picket lines during a bitter dispute but did not have to wait long to be offered a job by David Dimbleby on Radio Four’s Today programme. He later became assistant editor at The Times then an MP.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7730573/Teenage-Michael-Gove-supported-Labour.html

So he actually went on strike!

p.s-You would never know he was scottish by his accent.

Choccy

12 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Choccy on March 11, 2012

The governing body have chosen AET as the primary school's new sponsor. Two strikes and a lot of community stuff went into fighting this conversion, just one of many battles in schools against academies, forced or not.

Choccy

12 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Choccy on March 11, 2012

Not sure, Gypsy texted me, then I saw on Facebook. Know nothing about AET.

gypsy

12 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by gypsy on March 11, 2012

Choccy

Not sure, Gypsy texted me, then I saw on Facebook. Know nothing about AET.

From- http://antiacademies.org.uk/2012/03/who-is-gove-giving-our-primary-schools-to/

Academies Enterprise Trust (AET)

AET currently have 19 academies. Of these 7 have been open long enough to enter pupils for GCSEs.

These 7 academies show a 46.5% pass rate for GCSEs including equivalents. But when the equivalents are taken out this drops to 33%, with one academy, Clacton Coastal Academy, dropping by 21%.

With just 7 academies worth of experience the government have decided to double the number of academies run by AET to 38, making it the largest chain in the country.

Chilli Sauce

12 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Chilli Sauce on March 11, 2012

Yeah, I thought they were one of those chains. Thanks Choccy.