The National Education Union (NEU) has issued formal notice of strike action at Pinehurst Primary School in Anfield, Liverpool, in response to the employer’s continued refusal to engage meaningfully with staff and the wider community over controversial plans to convert the school into an academy.

Following a successful ballot for industrial action, more than 30 NEU members will begin a series of strikes starting on Wednesday 16 July 2025, with further dates scheduled into September.

Bora Oktas, NEU Regional Officer, said: “Despite repeated offers from the union to engage in constructive dialogue, the employer has acted in bad faith, failing to consider staff feedback, rejecting proposals for extended consultation, and refusing to carry out either an Equality Impact Assessment for staff or a Community Impact Assessment for parents and pupils.”

Mr Oktas continued: “This is a school that is performing well, with no academy order in place and no clear educational or financial rationale for such a rapid move toward academisation. In similar cases elsewhere, questions have been raised about how structural changes can sometimes lead to shifts in leadership pay and governance priorities. What is clear here is that the move would reduce accountability to the local authority, parents, and the wider community. This does not look like meaningful reform, it feels more like an imposed change that lacks transparency.”

Mr Oktas added: “Our teacher and support staff members consistently raised concerns about the lack of transparency and the top-down nature of the process. The governing body and leadership have ignored the voices of staff, parents, and the local community, pushing ahead with a plan that serves private interests rather than public good.”

“Take the online petition, for example” said Mr Oktas, “over two hundred people, most of them parents with children at Pinehurst have signed it calling for this academisation to be halted. That petition is not just a number; it is a powerful message from the very people this school is meant to serve. The Governing Body must ask itself: why are we not listening to them? Why are we ignoring the community we are supposed to represent?”

Karen Copsey, Joint-Assistant Secretary of Liverpool NEU branch added: “Parents are rightly worried that once the school is out of local authority control, it will no longer be accountable to them. Decisions will be made behind closed doors, and the community will be shut out.”

Ms Copsey added: “This is a textbook example of how not to run a consultation. Staff were blindsided, parents were sidelined, and the community was silenced. Our members are taking a stand not just for their own working conditions, but for the future of their pupils’ education in Anfield.”

Ms Copsey continued: “The union has highlighted that the school is currently rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted and has a strong community ethos. There is no evidence that academisation would improve outcomes for pupils, in fact, research shows that such conversions often lead to increased instability, staff turnover, and a narrowing of the curriculum.”

Peter Middleman, NEU Regional Secretary, stated: “The myth that academisation is a silver bullet for school improvement has been thoroughly debunked. The employer’s refusal to pause and reflect, even to carry out basic impact assessments, shows a clear disregard for the wellbeing and future of children and staff alike.”

The NEU is calling for the academisation proposal to be withdrawn immediately and for the school to remain under the governance of Liverpool City Council. The union says it remains open to negotiations and urges the employer to return to the table in good faith.

Mr Oktas concluded: “Our members will not stand by while their voices and the voices of the community, parents and pupils are ignored. I call on all parents, carers, and members of the Anfield community to stand shoulder to shoulder with our members on the picket line. Your presence sends a powerful message: that this school belongs to the community, not to private interests. Join us in defending the values of transparency, accountability, and public service that Pinehurst has always stood for.”

END

Notes to Editors:

• Strike Dates: Wednesday 16 July 2025 , Thursday 17 July 2025, Wednesday 3 September 2025, Thursday 4 September 2025 , Tuesday 9 September 2025, Thursday 11 September 2025