Latest news with #teacherstrike
BBC News
08-07-2025
- BBC News
Teachers from Salford primary school strike 'over violent pupils'
Teachers at a Salford primary school have gone on strike alleging that some pupils who are violent and abusive are not being managed at Moorside Primary who are members of the NASUWT union said the school leadership was not dealing with "numerous incidents and increasing levels of violent behaviour". Eight more one-day strikes are planned. The NASUWT trade union said it had previously delayed acting on a strike ballot in the hope the school's "chaotic" leadership would engage with its concerns. But it said members walked out after three people were assaulted by the same pupil.A Salford City Council spokesman said it was looking to address the teachers' concerns. Jac Casson, NASUWT national executive member for Greater Manchester, said staff and other pupils were "at risk".She said: "No school can guarantee staff will not be assaulted but the risk can be managed - that has not been done this year."Ms Casson said the school's new leadership had not applied policies to deal with verbal and physical abuse and, along with the governors, had ignored staff added: "Essentially it has not been dealt with and it wasn't until our members had been balloted that the school responded with risk assessments of particular students." 'Classrooms trashed' Ms Casson said staff had been regularly sworn at, punched, kicked and pushed with classrooms trashed, causing the rest of the pupils to be put into "lockdown" for their own the school had been described as "stable and happy" but the union blamed a change in leadership and Casson said: "We had suspended our strike plans but the governors have not worked with us and we decided to put our vote into action after an incident where three people were injured by the same student."Salford Council said: "Teams from across the council are continuing to work closely with colleagues from the NASUWT union, the school leadership team, and governors as we look to address the concerns that have been raised and also seek a resolution to the strike action." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Telegraph
07-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Teachers announce strike with just four days' notice
Parents have been given just four days' notice of a strike by London teachers in the last weeks of term. Hundreds of teachers at the Charter Schools, a group of academies in south London, are set to join industrial action by the National Education Union (NEU) this week. Parents were only told of the strikes – which are due to begin on Friday – on Monday. Teachers at the group of nine schools, which have more than 4,500 pupils aged from four to 18, will also strike on July 15, 16 and 17. At one of the Charter trust's nine schools, the strikes have forced the cancellation of a sports day and an end-of-year art gallery field trip. The NEU is demanding an increase to teachers' maternity pay that could be worth up to £5,000 each. Chris McGovern, the chairman of the Campaign for Real Education (CRE), told The Telegraph: 'This action is damaging, selfish and grossly unfair on pupils. Teachers who strike have lost their moral compass.' In a letter to parents, Alison Harbottle, the headmistress of The Charter School East Dulwich said the strikes were 'deeply regrettable', adding: 'I am extremely sorry for the disruption caused to your child's education. 'Unfortunately, the NEU action is taking place on days that involve a range of activities in our end-of-year enrichment programme. We know this will be very disappointing for students involved in these activities.' Three of four demands met The strikes are set to go ahead despite the trust agreeing to three of four demands by the union. It is understood that it agreed to decouple pay rises from performance, form a staff group for workload and well-being issues, and recognise teachers' union membership. But the trust told the NEU it could not afford a demand for higher maternity pay, which could amount to as much as £4,863 extra for the highest-paid teachers. A source said: 'We were hopeful that because we had agreed with them on every point, they would see that hiking maternity pay would not be feasible. It would cost more money than we have and could mean some jobs would be lost. We just can't do that.' Charter Schools gives the highest-paid subject teachers – who in inner London receive £50,288 a year – £23,023 in maternity pay. That is £5,435 (32 per cent) higher than the £17,588 minimum rate the same teachers are eligible for under a nationwide NEU agreement known as the Burgundy Book. The union is demanding this premium increase from 32 per cent to 58 per cent, which for the highest-paid inner London teachers would see them receive £27,886 in maternity pay – an extra £4,863. This would also be £15,906 higher than the basic statutory maternity pay for which those teachers are eligible. The 58 per cent rate is currently paid by the trust at two of its nine schools, where this higher rate was agreed when they were previously local authority-maintained schools. A spokesman for the Charter Schools said: 'As a practical resolution could not be reached, we are saddened that the NEU are proceeding with strike action. 'While we value the contribution of our staff hugely, we are one of only a few academy trusts who already pay our staff more than the national agreement for maternity pay – by over 30 per cent. 'However, when trying to protect jobs because of the pressure of falling rolls and increased costs, we simply don't have the wriggle room to nearly double that commitment. What we hope we have shown, however, is that we are listening and we have always sought to engage and try and find a resolution where one has been possible.' The strikes appear to have been organised by a pro-Palestinian activist. Freddy Vanson, the district secretary for the NEU's Southwark branch, is equality, diversity and inclusion lead at Charles Dickens Primary School, one of the Charter Schools. His social media accounts feature images of him wearing a keffiyeh and holding a red bandana towards a sculpture of Che Guevara at Revolution Square in Havana, Cuba. Millions of pupils were disrupted by nationwide teaching strikes in 2023, including eight days of walkouts by NEU members in England. In April, Daniel Kebede, the NEU's leader, warned that further strikes could hit schools as soon as September this year despite the Government offering inflation-busting pay rises of 5.5 per cent.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Teachers to continue strikes over longer school day
Strikes by teachers at seven schools in Yorkshire in a row over a proposed longer school day are to continue, a union has walkouts at schools run by Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Easingwold, plus two in Wakefield and one in Hemsworth, would be held on 10 days in July, the National Education Union (NEU) began at OGAT sites across the UK last month after the trust said it wanted a school day lasting 30 minutes longer, but the union said OGAT showed a lack of "understanding of the day-to-day pressures" its members said it was "deeply disappointed" the NEU had rejected its proposals "to resolve the dispute". Schools in Redcar, Wigan, Scunthorpe, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are also affected by the ongoing disruption. Nick Raine, from the NEU, said its members at OGAT-run sites had "not taken industrial action lightly"."They have continued to support children with additional classes for exam revision," he said."While no teacher wants to take strike action, any move that leads to an increase in teacher workload is clearly unacceptable. "NEU members have no choice but to take action as the trust simply will not listen."Separately, the NASUWT teaching union said it had suspended some planned industrial action over the plans at the schools in Easingwold, Scunthorpe, Barnsley and Hemsworth, meaning its members would work at those sites as normal. However, further strike action by its members was still scheduled to take place over the next two weeks, it said. In a statement, OGAT said it was "deeply disappointed" the NEU had turned down its proposals to solve the dispute.A spokesperson said: "Resolving the significant disruption to children's education remains our highest priority. "We've therefore consistently prioritised meetings and discussions, and have offered a number of solutions and refined proposals to our union colleagues. "While NASUWT has been amenable to them, unfortunately the NEU has not been as positive and we have been unable to make the same progress as a result."Andy Wroe, whose son attends Outwood Academy in Sheffield, told the BBC the situation was "not good enough"."The kids' education is suffering, their friendship groups are suffering, and I don't feel it's fair," he said."As a parent, we just want the right thing for the kids. I don't mind the teachers protesting - they've a right to do so - but we need to find a resolution because the kids are suffering."They just need to talk and realise there are a lot of children in the middle who are nervous, disrupted and worried."Further talks between the union and academy bosses are due to take place next week, with mediators from the Acas arbitration service involved. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Private school teachers out on landmark strike, as 'nine in ten educators at Britain's largest academy chain claim they have had to take second jobs to make ends meet'
Nine in ten private school teachers at Britain's largest academy chain say they have had to take second jobs to make ends meet because they are paid so little. They say United Learning's latest pay offer is so derisory in comparison to what their state school counterparts are paid that they were forced out on a landmark strike this week in protest. Meanwhile unions representing them say they are being 'treated with contempt'. Staff at Surbiton High School and Banstead Preparatory School downed tools after United Learning, which runs 90 academies and 14 independent schools, offered them pay rises of just two or three percent. They are incensed that the group, which has net assets of more than £50 million, is offering them around half the statutory 5.5 per cent rise given to the academy teachers. Now they are lobbying parents at both schools to write to governors and chief executive Sir Jon Coles, who was paid around £300,000 last year, to find out where their fees are going. At present Surbiton High School, in south west London, has fees of up to £24,000 a year while Banstead Preparatory School, in Surrey, charges parents up to £19,000 a year. But, according to teachers and unions, this fee income is not ring-fenced for individual schools but is spent across the group. One teacher, who was on the picket line at Surbiton, told the Mail on Sunday: 'The reasoning doesn't make sense. 'The pay is so bad that 90 per cent of teachers are having to take second jobs, such as tutoring, to make ends meet. And, the younger staff, who cannot afford to live near the school, are not getting enough salary to pay their travel. 'It is really tough. Every single person on strike, doesn't want to be on strike because they love teaching. They enjoy being with the children, they enjoy teaching, they enjoy education. 'There is also no transparency. Parents pay the fees, but it goes into a pot of money for all their private schools, and, as teachers, we don't feel that it's going back into the school. 'We're trying to get parents to hold United Learning accountable. They are really supportive on the whole.' National Education Union (NEU) senior organiser Rachel Evans said: 'Once again, United Learning have offered their independent schoolteachers a pay award significantly below both inflation and the increase afforded to teachers in the state sector. 'By our estimation, this award will mean that the majority of United Learning independent schools offer pay lower than that in local state schools.' This week's strike came after talks broke down with ACAS and NEU members after ten of United Learning's 14 independent schools voted in March in favour of industrial action. The move comes in the wake of the news that one of the group's top schools, the £40,000 a year Royal School, in Haslemere, Surrey, is due to close in August. Financial pressures such as Labour's VAT on fees policy are believed to be behind the closure. NASUWT Acting General Secretary Matt Wrack added: 'United Learning Trust is treating our members with contempt and paying them less than teachers in the state-funded academies they run. 'How can it claim teachers at Surbiton High School are worth less than teachers in their other schools? ULT should not treat hard-working and committed teachers at Surbiton in this appalling way.'
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
York teachers strike over academy trust funding decisions
Teachers at two schools in York have gone on strike in protest at the funding decisions made by the academy trust which runs National Education Union (NEU) said money was being spent centrally at the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT) on certain services, such as safeguarding, for all its 38 schools in York, North Yorkshire and All Saints Catholic School and St George's Catholic Primary had previously received equivalent services free of charge from the city council before becoming part of the trust in 2023 and 2019 respectively, the union said it was engaging "positively with trade union colleagues" and had already made internal changes. One teacher, who wanted to remain anonymous, said funding being "creamed off by NPCAT at the top" had resulted in a shortage of resources in the classroom."We're not seeing the repairs that we need to our school, we're not seeing the teaching assistants in the classroom and our students are not benefitting," they added that a recruitment freeze was currently in place due to a funding were "very supportive" of the industrial action, they said, despite it falling during mock exams for year 10 and year 12 pupils.A letter to parents at All Saints, seen by the BBC, said the school was closed to all key stage three students during the study time was scheduled to take place for those in year 10 and 12 if teachers were not available. One school under the trust in York paid £28,000 per year for a safeguarding service which was previously provided free of charge by the local authority, according to NEU organiser Gemma Cobby."At the same time, we've seen increases in CEO pay [at the trust] for the last few years," she added that members were "wanting to see that funding coming into schools" to provide better services and more teaching said funding cuts had led to fewer teaching assistants being able to support teachers and children since the school came under control of the academy trust had "resolved some matters" and made internal changes which were welcome, she said, but said funding "is still an issue". A spokesperson for NPCAT said the trust's board and leadership team were trying to "avert the need" for strike action."Concerns around workload have been cited by the unions as the basis for this action," a spokesperson added."After further discussions yesterday (Monday June 23), a number of actions to review the issues raised by the NEU were agreed, alongside the sharing of additional information to demonstrate the trust's commitment to transparency in these areas." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
