Teachers have voted against Ilkley Grammar School breaking away from local authority control and becoming a new-style academy.

In ballots by three of the biggest teachers’ unions, 90 per cent of members working at the school have said “no” to the new status.

Officials are now urging governors to listen to teachers before making a final decision and appealing for others to make their concerns known.

In a joint statement from unions ATL, NASUWT and NUT, representatives say members are opposed to the school becoming “an independent private limited company”.

The statement says there is no evidence academy status raises academic performance, that the financial benefits are uncertain and that the system makes the school less accountable.

And staff would no longer be bound to national agreements for pay and conditions and going ahead with academy status would be a “hit to staff morale and goodwill” in the quest to become an outstanding school.

For more on this story, see the Gazette & Observer.