Staff atCoplandCommunitySchoolinWembleywill tomorrow holdtheir thirddayof strikeactionagainstan attemptbyMichaelGove and animposedInterimExecutive Board(IEB) toforcetheschooltobecomeanacademy.DespiteCllr MichaelPavey,Leadmemberfor EducationinBrent,saying'it isnot adonedeal'sofar there hadbeennootheroptionbutARK.
Staff will holdarallyoutsideThe Torchpub at 10am inBridge Rd, WembleyagainstARKforciblytakingover theirschool.HankRoberts, ATLSecretaryandImmediate PastPresidentsaid:
StanleyFink,aleadingARK trustee, isthe NationalTreasureroftheConservativepartyandafriendofMichaelGove.Hesupports Gove'sandtheConservativespolicy, asrevealed intheIndependent,ofhandingoverstate schoolstobe runforprofit. They're notinitforcharitablegiving.Ifthey wanttogive Coplandmoney we'dwelcome it. Longtermthey're fortaking moneyoutofthe systemtoaddtothemany millionstheyalreadyhave.
Tom Stone, NASUWTActingSecretarysaid:
IfBrentwouldonlygoandgetthemoney the exheadteacherspiritedaway, the wholescenarioofbecominganacademywoulddisappearandCoplandschoolwouldbeaflourishingandeffective school.
LesleyGouldbourne,JointNUT Secretarysaid,:
A recentleadershipreview ofCoplandcarriedoutinOctober2013showedmanyimprovementsinteachingandlearningandmore robustfinancialmanagement. Givetheschooltime tocontinuethisgoodwork.