When academy status was first mooted for Withins School four years ago, school governors were told that it was the only way that they were going to get a new school building. Wanting the very best for the children of the community they agreed to an “expression of interest”. Assurances were given that the decision wasn’t binding; they were only looking into the “feasibility” of an academy. Soon after the governors’ decision, Bolton councillors voted to approve the expression of interest in replacing Withins with an academy.

The very next day, it was announced that Hayward School had obtained enough money from the Building Schools for the Future scheme to enable them to replace their existing buildings. Whilst everybody associated with Hayward School was obviously delighted with their good fortune, 6 miles away their counterparts at Withins were left feeling as though they were the proverbial sacrificial lamb. Bolton Council, having shown its devotion to Government Doctrine, was now to be blessed with a new school.

At the start of this academic year governors at Withins were told that it was now proposed to open the academy from September 2008. A “timeline for consultation” would be published within 2 weeks. Nine months later it still hasn’t appeared! Last December, Withins Governors were told that they would not in fact now be given the right to decide on whether to proceed with the academy. They had actually lost that right when they voted for the “expression of interest”.

At TOB faced with determined opposition from their staff and the realisation of what academy status will mean for their school, governors have sensibly voted to defer an expression of interest.

Now things have changed! Withins School has refused to allow itself to be sacrificed and is fighting back. This fight has attracted attention from all over the country. Groups opposing the academy programme all over England have heard about the NUT strike at Withins and it has given them hope.

Whether it is because of the resistance at Withins and TOB or down to the sheer incompetence of those planning the Breightmet academy, the start date has now had to be put back until January 2009.

Bolton Council, or rather the tiny clique within it, which is desperate to push through this anti-democratic, anti-state education programme, has been forced to offer up a new sacrifice. Ironically the offering is now Hayward School. Without even informing, never mind consulting, the community leaders and the MP who had lobbied successfully for BSF money, they have decided to close Hayward and replace it with an academy. The way in which this has been done is nothing short of a disgrace. The people responsible, in particular the Director for Children’s Services, have shown their utter contempt for all those working and studying at Hayward School and for the community the school serves. Leaving her minions to place a notice of closure in the back of the local paper and a scrap of paper on a lamppost like the owner of a lost dog, the Director of Children’s Services promptly scuttled off on “leave”. Attempts by the local media to find out what is going on in Bolton have been rebuffed. Demands for consultation by the representatives of the employees affected by this decision have been dismissed. Pupils at Hayward are to be deprived of a whole week’s education, so desperate are the powers that be to steamroller this through. Even the local MPs are outraged by this unprecedented behaviour and are seeking answers to their questions from Bolton Council.

Tomorrow, Thursday 19 June, at 4 p.m. we too will have a chance to demand that Bolton Council listen to us. Anybody who cares about the state of education, indeed of democracy, in Bolton must try to attend the meeting of the Child Services Scrutiny Committee in Bolton Town Hall. Don’t allow our elected representatives to just rubber-stamp the deal. Demand that they postpone the closure of Hayward School and conduct genuine consultation on whether the people of Bolton want any of their schools to be handed over to unaccountable private individuals and religious organisations.

If the people of Bolton say “No!” to academies then Bolton Council should say “No!” to the government. Otherwise, next year in May, we, the people of Bolton, will be saying “No!” to the councillors when they ask to be re-elected.