A recent ballot over industrial action returned a ‘100 per cent yes vote’ of those who took part.
The National Education Union (NEU) said it is “committed to reaching a resolution” but the school trust claims it has not provided the clarifications needed to progress.
Byron Court Primary School in Wembley, Brent, was closed last year after a ‘forced academisation’ order was issued by the Department for Education (DfE) following an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted report.
The school reopened in September 2024 as South Kenton Primary Academy, under the control of the Harris Federation multi-academy trust.
A ballot of National Education Union (NEU) members at the school concluded last week, resulting in a majority vote to strike.
Byron Court Primary School in Wembley was academised after being rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted last year. Image Credit: Google Maps
While some of the issues raised by members have been resolved by the trust following meetings with the headteacher and executives, others led to the vote on taking collective action, according to an NEU representative.
Just over half of members took part in the official ballot, which resulted in a 100 per cent ‘yes’ vote to strike, according to the NEU. The union highlighted the additional number of hours worked – called directed time, the excessive amount of cover required by support staff, and this not being matched by increased pay as reasons for the ballot being taken.
A spokesperson for the school said this result “does not reflect the reality on the ground” and that the school is making “excellent progress”.
Brent district joint secretary of the NEU, Jenny Cooper, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We remain committed to reaching a resolution to this dispute in the hope we will not need to take strike action, which is always a last resort. However, Harris Federation needs to be serious about supporting its staff – children cannot be taught well without happy staff.”
Further details of the strike will be announced in due course, with the notification set to go out either this week or next once it has been agreed with members. The strike pattern is typically one day, followed by two the next week, and then three the following week – unless an agreement can be reached.
Following the results of the ballot, a spokesperson for Harris Primary Academy South Kenton told the LDRS: “Children, parents, staff and anyone who visits us will see the vast improvement we’ve made since September, turning around standards that at Byron Court were found by Ofsted to be inadequate in all areas. Feedback from parents has been incredibly positive and supportive. We are grateful to and proud of all staff for what they have achieved and they should feel proud of themselves as well.”
They added: “We are always happy to listen and improve, but the NEU has not been able to provide the examples of clarification we would need to progress. They complain we have moved too fast in improving standards, but our view is that when it comes to giving children the education they need and deserve, as long as staff are supported, which they are, we cannot move fast enough.
“We are communicating closely with parents and carers and have told them that our intention is to keep the school open during any NEU action, so children do not miss out on education and so families are not faced with unnecessary childcare difficulties.”
Cllr Daniel Kennelly, who played a role in the initial campaign to prevent the school from being academised, told the LDRS: “Strike action is always the last resort for staff. This decision is a result of poor management and failure to value the hard work of teachers at the school.”
Cllr Kennelly also highlighted that the salary of Harris Federation’s CEO has increased to more than £500,000 while failing to ensure that staff are properly compensated when providing additional cover.
He added: “Harris must pay them as a teacher, rather than rely on their good will.”
