Tile Hill Wood Strike Against Academy Proposals
On Tuesday 22nd March the NUT members in Tile Hill Wood School in Coventry staged a very successful half day strike against the school’s proposal to become an academy.
There was a remarkable turnout on the picket line, with outstanding support from staff outside the NUT and from other local schools. The strike attracted a great deal of publicity, with the local newspaper running a front page story and members being interviewed on local BBC radio. In Coventry, seven schools are currently looking into becoming academies, and our action has really opened up the debate in the city. We have encouraged NUT members across the city that there is a way to oppose the Condem Government’s academies programme, with colleagues in other schools now balloting for action.
It is clear that in the school the vast majority of staff oppose becoming an academy, and despite each union informing the governors of their members’ strength of feeling, the concerns of the staff are being totally disregarded. Members within the school are opposed to this change for many reasons including: the threat to our terms and conditions, the attack on democratically accountable comprehensive education and more importantly the belief that it will damage the education of pupils within our school and across the city.
Our action has galvanised support within the school with the NASUWT voting to join us on our future action. We have planned a day strike on Tuesday 5th April, and with both unions acting in conjunction the school has to close to students. We hope that the school will reconsider their decision and see the merits of our current situation as an excellent comprehensive school – run for and by the community – and remove their attempts to place it into private hands.