GOVERNORS at a popular all-girls school have approved controversial plans for it to become an academy.

Ann Betts, headteacher of Connaught School for Girls in Leytonstone, said she expected the change in status would be finalised by January or February 2013 after a majority voted in favour on Wednesday night (October 24).

The move comes despite two one-day strikes by National Union of Teachers (NUT) members at the school and concerns from some parents that a consultation was rushed.

Ms Betts and the council have also rowed over the plans, with both sides accusing each other of making inaccurate statements.

Academy status will allow the school to break away from council control, giving it greater independence and receiving all its funding direct from the government.

But critics fear academies will create a two-tier education system and that teachers' terms and conditions could be eroded if they are put under the control of a school's management.

Ms Betts told the Guardian that governors wanted to safeguard the future of the Connaught amid concern the council was drawing up plans to merge it with another school - something it denies.

She said: "Our principle aim is to do what's best for the school.

"The governors made the decision as a group. It wasn't unanimous and obviously some of the staff are not happy because they are concerned about terms and conditions, but the governors have given them as much of a guarantee as they can.

"But even if the school didn't become an academy there's no guarantees about the future of terms and conditions for teachers."

Steve White, of Waltham Forest NUT, said he believed the governors' vote had been "very close", with eight in favour and six against - with two absent and two abstaining.

He said: "There should be an emergency meeting of the governors to hold a new vote, allowing those who were absent to take part. It's essential considering how close it was.

"We will hold another strike on Wednesday and Thursday November 7 and 8. We are calling on parents to join us in demanding a new vote is held."

A letter to the school from the council accused its leadership of including "misconceptions or inaccuracies" in a consultation document sent to parents.

But Ms Betts insists the council told her there were merger plans in the pipeline and said the school would receive an extra £97,000 by changing its status.

However Leyton Labour MP John Cryer said he was not convinced that the school would benefit from becoming an academy.

He said: "I have had very extensive conversations with Clare Coghill, as lead [cabinet] member for schools in our borough.

"Clare has assured me that there are no plans to merge Connaught and that the local authority sees four-form secondary schools as perfectly viable."

Mr Cryer added: "I am certain that Connaught could continue to be a successful and over-subscribed school in the state system".