The Village School in Kingsbury this moarning saw one of the biggest Brent picket lines for many a year.
The staff of the school that was academised against their wishes, have recently experienced what academisation means when high-handed management took unilateral action without any consultation - despite the fact that consultation over conditions of service was one of the undertakings made at the time.
One member of staff remarked about the betrayal of trust and said, 'Jenny warned us about this when we were fighting academisation - and now it has happened.'
The imposed changes will result in pay cuts for staff needing hospital appointments, ante-natal appointments and carer' leave. Attempts to negotiate failed so the NEU called a strike of staff for today and the school was shut to pupils.
If the Trust that runs the school does not shift its position there will be two days of strikes, Wednesday and Thursday, after half-term.
The mood of the strikers was good natured, positive and very, very determined and the sense of community palpable.