Will the bells toll for Stratford: A strike threat over the dismissal of two teachers may force the closure of school dogged by controversy

Teachers at Stratford school are considering strike action over the dismissal of two senior members of staff, which could sound the death knell for the troubled opt-out comprehensive in east London.

Stratford school, which has 577 pupils, has been fighting to stay open since being the first grant-maintained school to be found 'failing its pupils and be damned in a report by Ofsted, the schools inspectorate, in February.

The criticism was an embarrassment to the Government, which granted the school grant maintained status in 1991 just as Newham Education Authority was preparing to close it.

The latest row centres on the governors' decision to make redundant Sheila Acland, head of the lower school, and Rob Williams, head of the sixth form. Their contracts will be terminated on 31 August.

Last week Dave Argent, the national executive member of the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) for the region, said the pair were being treated as scapegoats. He said they planned to go to an industrial tribunal claiming unfair dismissal.

Members of the union and the National Union of Teachers have called for a strike ballot. They have asked their national committees to consider blacklisting vacant posts at Stratford school and are refusing to cover the duties of the two redundant staff.

If industrial action is agreed the school could face disruptions at the start of the September term, a crucial time as it tries to settle in new pupils and timetables.

Ms Acland and Mr Williams, both teachers for 20 years, have lost their jobs in a restructuring which the governors promised in their 'action plan to convince the Secretary of State for Education, John Patten, that the school could turn around.

Mr Argent said: 'The irony is that the Ofsted report, whilst condemning standards at the school, actually praised the behaviour of the pupils and said their assembly was good - both areas in which these teachers had responsibilities.

'The governors say they are removing a tier of management before appointing a new deputy head. The truth is that two loyal members of staff are being fired as scapegoats.'

He said staff had passed votes of no confidence in the head teacher, Anne Snelling, and the governing body. 'Morale is about as low as it

can be. There is a rumour that if there is any more trouble at the school then the Government will finally get sick of the whole saga and close it down.

'The fact that our members are willing to risk their jobs is a sign of how bad morale is. They obviously do not think there is much future one way or an-other if things stay as they are.'

Stratford school has been a political hot potato since opting-out in 1991.

Even the vote to become grant maintained was contro-versial, being won by 18 votes. After escaping the Labour authority's control, the school was promoted by ministers as an inner city flagship, although rolls were falling.

A battle then followed between Mrs Snelling and a group of mainly Muslim governors who demanded a greater role in running the school. Governors' meetings became deadlocked, and issues such as staff contracts went unresolved. Asian governors accused the head of racism and incompetence.

Kenneth Clarke, then Edu-cation Secretary, was drawn into the feud and he appointed two governors of his choice.

After months of wrangling and legal action the chairman of the governors, Ghulam Shaida, and his supporters were forced to resign in 1992 and to apologise to Mrs Snelling, who received an OBE in 1993.

A fresh furore erupted when the findings of the Ofsted inspectors were released. The report said senior teachers had failed to tackle poor teaching and learning across all the main subjects. Poor results in last year's GCSE exams alarmed the inspection team: only 4 per cent of pupils achieved five or more GCSE passes at grade C or higher. The school was given 40 days to come up with a plan to improve standards.

Mark Prisk, chairman of the governors, said Stratford received confirmation only on 13 May that its action plan had been accepted.

Mr Argent said the Ofsted inspectors had returned recently and noted that staff morale was low.

Mr Prisk said: 'Letters have been sent out to teachers warning that if there is a prolonged strike the future of the school will be in jeopardy.

'The campaign for a strike ballot is being led by a small number of people. Most of the staff realise that this restructuring has to take place.

'We found it necessary to make two teachers redundant because we looked at that tier of management and realised it was not functioning as it should.'

He admitted that 11 staff had left this term: 'Not all of them went because they were unhappy.

'The Ofsted in-spectors have been back. They were disappointed that morale was low but they also realised we were making improvements and we cannot turn a school around in three months.'

(Photograph omitted)