Parents protest at school strike

The government says academies have greater freedom to improve standards

Parents who have children at a school where teachers are striking are staging a protest at lost teaching time.

Teachers at the newly-reopened Sinfin Community School, Derby, are refusing to work for the next three days over plans to turn it into an academy.

They claim the move will prevent parents and teachers having a say in how the school is run.

But the parents said they were concerned the ongoing action would damage their children's education.

Pupils will have lost six days this academic year due to strike action.

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) union has said turning the school into an academy will take it out of local authority control.

'Desperate' action

This, it claims, will stop parents and teachers having a say in admission and teaching policy.

A spokesman said: "The teachers at this school have put their principled objections to the potential damage to their students' education above their career interests and employment security.

"They are absolutely determined to do everything that is possible in their desperation to prevent this school being removed from the local community."

But officials at Derby College, which would help run the academy, have insisted the move would help raise standards.

I can see that they are saying this is for the long-term future of the children but my issue is my children's education now Mhairi Bullock, parent

Now some parents have said they are fed up with the ongoing dispute.

Mhairi Bullock, who organised the parents' protest, has a son and a daughter in the school.

She said: "We are here to oppose the fact of the disruption the strike will have on our children's education as it is now. My daughter is in year 11, she has her mock GCSEs at the end of the month.

"Yes, I can see that they are saying this is for the long-term future of the children but my issue is my children's education now, especially my daughter in such a crucial year."

Head teacher Steve Monks said only a handful of classes were being taught: "I wasn't expecting this level of dispute to be this extended.

"One or two days of protest to make their point was almost legitimate but I think this is having a long term and possibly detrimental effect on the young people we are here to teach."

A consultation into reopening the school as an academy in September 2009 is due to run until the end of March.

The National Union of Teachers is expected to decide on any further action of its own later this week.

The school reopened in September after a £21m rebuild following a fire.

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Teachers' unions say the dispute is about maintaining standards