Teacher strike over academy row

Teachers at a school in Haringey are going on strike today, in protest against plans to turn it into an academy.

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Anti-academy protest outside school

Teachers, who have gone on strike in protest against plans to turn their school into an academy, were joined by parents as they demonstrated outside the school today.

Up to 40 parents attended the protest at Downhills Primary in Haringey.

Sarah Williams, 40, who has two sons at the school, said:

"There is absolutely no evidence that a change in structure improves children's educational outcomes.

"When the process first started I thought it was about improving the school, but as we've got further along I've realised it's all about [Education Secretary] Micheal Gove's ideologies that the only way to improve is to introduce profit.

"If you look at the figures, this school was already improving, and there's absolutely no reason why the school can't continue to improve if left the way it is."

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