The Archdiocese of Liverpool's proposal to transfer around 230 schools into three Catholic multi-academy trusts has triggered strikes, parental protests and warnings of further city-wide industrial action.
The plan, formally announced in April, would move schools in Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens, Widnes, Warrington, parts of Lancashire and Wigan away from local authority control over several years, with different schools becoming academies in waves.
Archbishop defends move
Speaking exclusively to the ECHO at the time, Archbishop John Sherrington said the move is being made "for the good of all children, who are at the centre of our educational work and mission." He insisted the new structure would maintain accountability and transparency, saying: "There will be a system of control and accountability and transparency."
The announcement was the first many involved with the affected schools knew of the sweeping reforms, making the front page of the next day's ECHO.
Strike action begins
At the start of September, staff at St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary in Mossley Hill walked out for six days of strike action over the plans, with strong backing from parents. One parent said: "We totally understand why the teachers are doing this, we get it, we are being forced to join something we don't want to join. We chose this school because it is a little school, we don't want it to be part of a trust - we feel like we are the guinea pigs."
Parents had been trying to arrange a meeting with school governors and the Archdiocese for some time, but were only granted one after the strike action was voted for.
'Nuclear button option'
At a tense meeting on September 7, the Archdiocese's director of education, Joan McCarthy, referenced a "nuclear button option" when asked what would happen if governors opposed the move. One parent present said: "She said that ultimately it was a decree and it is going ahead - that didn't feel like a consultation, it felt very pre-determined."
The chair of governors then said: "If the Archbishop tells me to do something then I will do it." The parent added: "We thought the governors were supposed to work in the best interests of the school, not the Archbishop."
On the picket line, one mum said: "To be honest it is making me feel ashamed to be a Catholic. The overarching message is this is what the Archbishop wants, so we have no say in this. It is massively disappointing. The church is losing people and this is exactly what people don't like."
One teacher said: "We expected a meaningful consultation and we just haven't had that. It is a shame it has come to this, because we asked for a meeting with the employers and the union back in June and it only happened last Monday - after industrial action had been called."
Further action threatened
The industrial action was suspended after two more days of strikes, in the hope that talks would delay the school's transition into the first wave of academisation.
At a National Education Union meeting at Liverpool's Adelphi Hotel, NEU branch joint secretary Graham Copsey said: "School governors have been told to vote for academisation because it is the Archbishop's will and have been told they will be removed if they don't vote for it." He warned: "There will be strike action right across this city, the Archdiocese need to change these plans."
UNISON organiser Paddy Creary said school support staff across Liverpool are also being balloted for potential strike action on the issue.
Some attendees described the move as effectively "privatising our education system," while others said they remained open to hearing more but were concerned by the lack of real consultation.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool now faces growing opposition to its plans for the future of hundreds of schools in the region.
