STAFF are preparing to ballot for industrial action as a top East Lancashire school has revealed it is pushing ahead with plans to become an academy.

Around 40 teachers will be voting to take action to fight Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School’s moves to open as an academy by October.

Unions leaders were instructed to fight the plan after governors agreed to apply to formally the Department for Education to change the school from foundation to academy status.

Members of the NASUWT, National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, will vote between June 11 and 20, it has been announced.

It is also understood the National Union of Teachers, NUT, which also represents teaching staff at the Rossendale school, has undertaken an indicative ballot for similar action.

The moves comes after more than 60 staff wrote to the chair of governors expressing ‘grave’ concerns about the idea.

They said they feared for the ‘children, parents, local community, standards of education and the long-term financial viability of the school’.

Academies are funded by central government and are free from local authority control.

They are in charge of their own budget, curriculum, staff pay and conditions and also admissions.

National executive member and Lancashire representative of the NASUWT, John Girdley said: “The governors promised us that if they would go forward with the academy bid they would do so for sound educational reasons.

“We believe their stance has now antagonised staff at the school and this surely can only have detrimental effects on results.

“We fail to understand how this will improve results.

“We would strongly urge the governors to think again. We believe Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School will be a better school and can protect pay and results without academy status.

“We are balloting out members now that the governing body’s intension has become clear. Our members have expressed their wishes to protect their present status.”

A letter to parents, chair of governors David King said: “We shall be holding meetings with staff and will be keeping pupils/students informed throughout the process.

“The governing body will not sign the funding agreement unless they are content that conversion would be in the best interests of the school taking account of all the legal and practical ramifications.”

A consultation meeting for parents and carers of children at the school is taking place on June 12 at 7.30pm.