A HEADTEACHER has said she believes strike action outside a Leyton school “exploited” pupils.

Helen Jeffery, head of George Mitchell School, in Farmer Road, said union members protesting against trust status “manipulated” pupils into joining their cause.

Members of the NUT picketed the school at lunchtime on July 2 to protest against controversial plans to create a trust school, formed of George Mitchell and Norlington School for Boys.

They believe the trust, whose governing body would be controlled by the Institute of Education (IOE), would not benefit pupils.

Mrs Jeffery said: “I'm an NUT member myself and I don't have a problem with people protesting.

“I really didn't like the fact they came to my school, where there's been no unrest.”

Mrs Jeffery added that picketers who passed leaflets to children through school railings had been “very manipulative”.

She said: “I actually think it's immoral to use young people like that.

“Although it can be argued that it affects young people, it's so complex that even adults are struggling to understand it. I think it's very unfair to involve children.”

Mrs Jeffery has come out strongly in favour of trust status as she believes sharing new facilities and collaboration with Norlington on curriculum will benefit pupils.

“It's about giving pupils an even better educational experience,” she said.

She also said the two schools would still have separate headteachers and sites on a single “campus” and that the local authority could dissolve the trust if it failed to perform.

She added that the IOE would not control the day-to-day running of either school.

Another NUT strike will be held on July 15 outside Norlington, followed by a protest march to Waltham Forest town hall.

NUT secretary Rinaldo Frezzato confirmed the march would go through Walthamstow Market to gather signatures on a petition against trust status.

Mr Frezzato said: “I would refute the suggestion that we were addressing our lobby to the pupils.

“It was aimed at our colleagues in the NUT – it's them we would want to persuade to join us.”

And Steve White, a teacher at Leytonstone School and member of the NUT, added: “If there's no dissent, then we wouldn't be capable of stirring it up.

“The young people are perfectly capable of making up their own minds.”

The University and Colleges Union (UCU), members of which work at the IOE, has also stated it is opposed to forming a trust.