In the first ballot of its kind Sheffield City Council have decided to ballot parents in Parkwood school to decide if the school will become an Academy.

The privately-sponsored state schools were responsible for 2% of all temporary exclusions and 3% of permanent exclusions, despite making up only 0.3% of state schools in the England, according to official figures published yesterday.

link here Guardian 25th June 2008 

Jacobs Engineering Group could be involved in the plan by nine schools to link up with businesses to run affairs outside local authority control.

Sally Kincaid, local secretary for the NUT said: "Many people are opposed to nuclear weapons on principal and yet this company would have an equal influence over the education of our pupils as Wakefield Council."

Last year, US firm Bearing Point was dropped as a partner in Wakefield's Aspire Trust. It had emerged the firm was involved in George Bush's election campaign and has contracts in Iraq.

In its Editorial comment the Wakefield Express concludes "Surely this is something that should be decided by parental referendum. Let them vote and decide what is best for their kids." 

Wakefield Express article here 

Picket lines at the Withins School on 18th June again saw a 100% turnout to resist academisation. Joined by other union members from other schools, both confidence and determination remains high.

 Balloting for strikes of UNISON members at both The Withins and The Hayward (the other proposed academy) schools is now under way and the NUT group in Hayward have also given notice of a ballot for strike action. Now the GMB in both schools and the ATL in Hayward have kicked in with proposals for action.