A second Liverpool primary school is facing strike action over controversial reforms.
Teachers at St Austin’s Catholic Primary School in Grassendale will stage six days of walkouts in protest at the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s planned structural changes.
Under the proposals, the Archdiocese intend to take full control of nearly 230 primary and secondary schools and some colleges in the Liverpool City Region.
All of the schools will be converted into academies under the jurisdiction of both the Archdiocese and its three trusts which are independent of local authority measures.
In September, staff at St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School in Mossley Hill began industrial action over their planned absorbtion into one of two existing trusts.
But the strike was halted midway through following ‘constructive’ talks held between the National Education Union (NEU) and school leaders over the dispute.
However staff at St Austin’s are now preparing to stage their own six days of action on November 19, November 24 to 25 and from December 1 to December 3.
The NEU confirmed that 100% of its represented members had voted in favour of striking with an 83% turnout before announcing the scheduled walkout periods.
Roz Morton, NEU’s industrial organiser, said: “St Austin’s is a well-regarded, popular school at the heart of its community with a strong track record of success, both academically and pastorally.
“NEU members are proud of their school and pupils; they know that parents appreciate the nurturing atmosphere of school and staff diligence in the discharge of their duties.
“The last thing they want to do is disrupt the education of the pupils they care so deeply about. NEU members feel very strongly that governors should commit to retaining the character of the school as it is.
“There is no benefit to imposing a drastic, unwanted change on a settled school community, working well in its current circumstances.”