Chair of governors’ alleged attempt to become headteacher of LA school triggers chain of events likely to lead to its academisation

Bromley Civic Centre, in south London. Bromley council has faced intense criticism from unions over its "intervention" at Southborough Primary School

Teachers at a south London primary school began a strike this morning following an extraordinary 12 months which seem likely to culminate in it being forced to join a multi-academy trust, despite being rated “good” by Ofsted.

National Education Union (NEU) members at Southborough Primary School in Bromley are on the picket line today (Wednesday October 9^th), as a saga which began with some remarkable developments at governing body level moves towards a conclusion.

A series of events were triggered after a complaint from the school’s former leadership, backed by the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), about an alleged move by its former chair of governors to apply to become its new executive headteacher, a post that had been put forward by the governing body.

Despite attempts to resolve the situation with the school remaining a local authority primary, instead Bromley council installed a new governing body, which is now moving to academise Southborough. An intense row between the NAHT and NEU, on one side, and the local authority, on the other, has then ensued.