STAFF at a school in north-west London are set to strike today over controversial plans for it to be turned into an academy.

The Village school in Kingsbury would become part of a Multi Academy Trust, following wider government plans that force schools that are deemed to be failing to become academies.

The Tories, under David Cameron in 2016, originally planned legislation for every school in England to be converted but U-turned on the idea following a furious backlash.

Then shadow schools minister Lucy Powell had said there was no evidence to suggest that academisation led to improvement.

Deputy general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU) Kevin Courtney has previously warned that remote academy trusts are "unaccountable to parents, staff or local communities."

The number of staff at the Village school who have joined the NEU has increased fourfold from 32 to 125 since September, as staff are worried about the effect it will have on their terms and conditions and pupils' learning.

Negotiations have failed so far, so a picket and rally will take place outside the school this morning from 7.30 to 9.30.