Teachers walked out on their eighth day of strike action yesterday against compulsory redundancies imposed by the academy chain poised to take over their school.

Copland Community school in Brent, London, is set to be taken over by Ark academy after a vote by Brent Council to grant it a 125 year lease in April over the land where the school stands.

Teachers have said Ark, which is run by hedge-fund managers, has imposed “totally unnecessary” compulsory redundancies even though no funding agreement has yet been signed.

Teachers believe the redundancies are an attempt to axe as many of the current staff as possible before the formal takeover in September.

Meanwhile Ark has hired two new extra assistant headteachers and one deputy head. 

Strikers took their protest to Ark HQ in central London, where some dressed as fat cat spivs.