Teachers in Worthing (near Brighton) and Leytonstone (east London) have struck to stop their schools becoming Academies.
At Connaught School for Girls in Leytonstone, teachers struck on 16 and 24 October, and, as Solidarity went to press, were due to strike again on 7 and 8 November. The vote for Academy conversion on the school's board of governors was extremely close, with eight backing the proposals, six opposing, two abstaining, and two absent. The local council has accused the school's consultation on the conversion of containing "misconceptions and inaccuracies".
Worthing High teachers also struck on 24 October, and have succeeded in pushing their school's proposed Academy conversion date back to December. Meanwhile, the heads of several other local schools have announced that they have no intention of moving to Academy status, a sign that the Worthing strike is creating pressure on heads not to take similar steps.
Teachers at Stratford Academy in east London, Highcrest Academy in Buckinghamshire, Ridgewood School in Doncaster, and Deptford Green school in south London are also planning strikes.
These are part of the ongoing joint campaign by teaching unions NUT and NASUWT around terms and conditions.
