Schools in Waltham Forest could move out of council control as part of a shake up of education.

There are plans for three new schools, created as part of the Government's Building Schools for the Future program, to be given trust status.

This will give governors complete control of the day-to-day running of the school, including admissions and staff recruitment.

Ownership of school buildings and playing fields will also transfer to the trust.

The three proposed new schools will be created through the merger of Norlington, George Mitchell and Beaumont Primary in Leyton, Tom Hood and Cann Hall Primary in Leytonstone and Chingford Foundation and Yardley primary.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) claims that once a school becomes a trust the Local Education Authority will not be able to take control back if things go wrong.

The union has also accused the council of keeping the plan to create trusts quiet.

NUT division secretary Rinaldo Frezzato said: “There is no legal way back from a trust. The local authority is the democratically elected body for the people of Waltham Forest and should be accountable for schools.

“A trust is a completely unaccountable body and there is no evidence whatsoever that it would be better.”

Mr Frazzato said that the council often used the excuse that changing a school’s status was a condition of getting Government money for the Building Schools for the Future programme but other councils had refused the change and still got the cash.

He said the council had told unions the trusts were “non-negotiable” but the NUT was demanding a proper public consultation.

The union has called a public meeting to discuss the proposals, to be held at the Epicentre, West Street, Leytonstone, on December 15.

The Guardian is awaiting a response from the council's cabinet member for young people Cllr Chris Robbins.