PARENTS at a troubled Bowdon primary school will be throwing their support behind striking teachers by staging a protest outside the school gates on the same day as industrial action.

Following a petition calling for headteacher Michelle Brindle, who was appointed in September 2016, removed from the school, a protest is due to take place on Thursday February 23, between 7-10am.

The protest is to coincide with a strike action by the school’s NUT members, sparked by a dispute over workloads.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) announced that up to 19 members will join the industrial action tomorrow in a bid to overcome “excessive scrutiny and an obsession with data management”.

But the school will remain open as usual. In a letter to parents, Bollin Primary School management said: “We have had a few queries in response to yesterday’s email regarding the NUT workload strike action at school.

“There are provisions in place for your children to be taught in school from Reception to Year 6; the non-striking teachers and teaching assistants, in conjunction with Trafford Music Service, will ensure your children’s education will not be affected, but enhanced next week.”

During tomorrow’s strike, children at the school will be participating in a Music Extravaganza day.

Trafford Music Service will be hosting a variety of workshops and a rock assembly has been planned. Management wrote: “We know the children thoroughly enjoyed Rock Kidz Week in November and we know the children will equally enjoy this Music Extravaganza Day.

“Thank you also for your understanding and the messages of support for the school, they are deeply appreciated at this time.”

But the fact that the school is preparing to remain open with non-teaching staff is cause for concern, said union bosses.

Peter Middleman, NUT Regional Secretary for the North West Region said: “While non-teaching staff at the school will be expected to work normally we would have concerns about health and safety across the site with teaching staff numbers so depleted and we would caution the school against doing anything which may be considered a breach of The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003 which make it unlawful to hire agency workers to replace striking staff.”

A spokesperson for Bollin Primary School said: "The Senior Leadership Team at school would like to reassure parents that we have sufficient staffing levels in place to cover tomorrow’s strike.

"We are doing everything we can in our power to minimise disruption to the children’s school day and we are looking forward to spending time with Trafford Music Services, who are coming in to deliver practical music workshops across the school.

"We hope we will be able to resolve issues with staff and parents to avoid any future strike action.”

A further five days of action are scheduled for March.