TWO Lichfield schools have closed due to the latest strikes by teachers and support staff.
Other sites in the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership have been partially shut due to the walkout by members of the National Education Union in a row over planned redundancies.
The first of four days of industrial action scheduled this week has begun today (26th January) and has seen St Chad’s CE Primary School and St Michael’s CE Primary School closed to all pupils.
Other sites, including Nether Stowe School, Anna Seward Primary School and Scotch Orchard Primary School are partially closed today.
A spokesperson for the trust said they were continuing to “engage constructively” with the union in a bid to find a resolution:
“We continue to work hard to tackle the financial challenges we face so that we can bring stability to the trust and schools as quickly as possible.
“To ensure we move forward rapidly to secure our long-term future, we have already implemented a programme of significant change. This includes identifying numerous savings, continuing to review every area of expenditure and appointing external and experienced senior leaders.
“We also continue to engage constructively with the NEU and while further strikes have been scheduled, arrangements remain in place to ensure all pupils can continue their learning.
“Our schools, pupils and families are at the heart of every decision and process in place. We remain committed to resolving this dispute as swiftly as possible and doing everything we can to support a stronger and more sustainable future for our schools.”
Chris Denson, national executive member of the NEU, said the trust needed to reconsider plans to cut student-facing jobs:
“Members are really concerned for the students that they teach. Any cuts should come from the massive central office spend, not from teachers and support staff who do so much for the children that they support day in, day out.
“They are deeply concerned about the potential impact on support for children, for SEND support, for the impact on class sizes, not to mention the loss of jobs for members and their colleagues.
“The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership need to drastically re-think their plans.
“Cutting pupil facing roles will always damage education, wherever it happens. The massive central spend and central structure need to be cut, not support for students and their teachers and support staff jobs.”
The strikes are due to continue on:
- 27th January
- 28th January
- 29th January
- 2nd February
- 3rd February
- 4th February
- 5th February
- 9th February
- 10th February
- 11th February
- 12th February
- 13th February
