St Jude’s & St Paul’s and Highbury Quadrant primary schools are earmarked for closure by Islington Council as pupil numbers drop.
Staff at both schools are striking today and tomorrow (March 5 and 6), and then from March 11 to 13.
Staff, pupils and parents held a picket line outside their schools today (March 5) before boarding an open-topped Routemaster bus to Islington town hall.
St Jude’s Year 5 teacher Priya Patel said they picked up Highbury Quadrant strikers before driving up and down Upper Street with banners and chanting.
In a repeat of a protest they held on February 13, the groups assembled outside the town hall and made speeches.
She added: “The school is closed as most of staff are striking.
“Because of the closures none of us are really sure what’s going on with our jobs.
“We’re being told that we can get jobs, hopefully within the council, but they may not be at the same pay grade, there may be redundancies. We find it all so disheartening. We care about our kids a lot.”
She said if St Jude’s closes the nearest church school was more than a mile away.
“We come from a very disadvantaged community so our parents won’t be able to get on the bus every day with their children,” she added.
The teacher said the next planned protest was at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s constituency office in Camden.
Islington Council’s executive committee voted to go to formal consultation about the closures on February 13 – the first step towards formally closing both schools in July.
Cllr Michelline Safi-Ngongo, executive member for children, young people and families, said: “We understand that discussions about potential school closures are deeply concerning for pupils, families, and staff. Closing a school is always a last resort, and we only consider it after exploring all possible options to keep it running sustainably.
“We will continue to work closely with staff and families to support them through this consultation process.
“We strongly encourage everyone to share their views as part of the consultation.
“No final decisions have been made, and we remain committed to finding the best possible outcome for all children in Islington.”
