OPPOSITION is growing to academy plans at three East Lancashire schools.

St Wilfrid’s CofE High School and Technology College, Blackburn, is the latest school in East Lancashire to have entered into a consultation process about changing its status.

The move has been met with unrest from staff who took part in a secret ballot which showed more than 94 per cent of the school’s staff were not in favour of the proposal to convert into an academy.

It comes six months after staff at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School went on strike when the Ribble Valley school’s bosses announced it would open as an academy in January.

To date Bowland High School is also looking into the scheme.

Representatives from the National Union of Teachers, NASUWT, ATL and UNISON joined forces to find out the opinion of their members at St Wilfrid’s.

They said staff had not been expressing their opinions over ‘fears of reprisals’.

The school entered into a consultation process on February 14 after the foundation governors, which include the diocese and the Blackburn, Darwen and District Church Schools’ Association, agreed to pursue the process.

The ballot revealed that 94.3 per cent of staff who took part disagreed with the academy proposals, 3.8 per cent were in favour and 1.9 per cent abstained from the vote.

Academy status would free the school from local authority control and give the school control of admissions, their curriculum and much more.

Simon Jones, NUT executive member and Blackburn with Darwen representative, said: “We feel members are scared.

“They don’t want to put their head above the parapet over fears of reprisals.

“We wanted to get the views of members and have carried out an anonymous survey where the staff voted overwhelmingly against converting to an academy.”

Acting chair of governors at St Wilfrid’s CofE High School Technology College, Alan Inglis said: “I was not aware there was a ballot taking place but at the end of the day attaining academy is a decision for the governors.

“Staff views will be taken into consideration.”

Labour education councillor, Maureen Bateson, said: “I am surprised at the union vote.

“I think it is important to listen to the views and all their concerns.”