DEFIANT parents chained themselves and their children to the entrance of a north-west London primary school yesterday in solidarity with staff striking against the school’s privatisation.

St Andrew and St Francis Church of England Primary School in Willesden is being turned into an academy after a rushed consultation process that parents believed “tricked” them to support the change.

Today teachers will enter their third day of strike action after first walking out a week ago.

Protesting mother of a year three pupil Irene Scorer told the Star that parents had “never done anything like this before.

“All we want is for our voices to be heard in this matter — we are not being allowed to speak.

“We are always told: ‘Oh it’s going ahead. There’s nothing you can do.’ Well there is and we proved it today,” Ms Scorer said.

Parents claim they only found out about the consultation process for the proposed changes at the 11th hour.

Ms Scorer added that at a parents’ consultation meeting, the school’s interim executive board (IEB) did not allow teachers or trade unions to attend.

When management asked for a show of hands in support of turning the school into an academy, no-one raised their hands.

“We asked the IEB and the London Diocesan Board for Schools to come to a meeting organised by the union and the parents they refused,” she explained.

“You don’t want to show up, that’s fine. We’ll protest, we’ll stick up for our teachers.”

At yesterday’s protest parents demanded an independent ballot on the proposed changes, alongside a parent governor for the school.

A parents’ petition against converting the school into an academy has now gained over 360 signatures.

Brent National Union of Teachers secretary Lesley Gouldbourne said: “It was great to see so many parents with their children supporting the staff today.

“The IEB still refuses to recognise the parents’ democratic right to be heard — and we will keep shouting until they do.”

School staff union ATL secretary Hank Roberts echoed the sentiment, arguing the day showed “that support for the staff taking action against the school being forced to become an academy is growing.”

Mr Roberts added that more staff were joining the strike this week.

“With the growing support from staff and parents to continue and increase such action, the IEB needs to start listening and agree a ballot,” he said.