Key meetings on Horncastle teachers' strike ahead of school holidays
Key meetings are being held this week in a bid to resolve the dispute that has led to teachers going on strike at schools in Horncastle.
The teachers have already walked out twice, for four days in May and three in June, at Banovallum School and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, while Huttoft Primary School, near Alford, has also been affected.
The dispute is over job-losses and cuts after Horncastle Education Trust, which runs the schools, imposed a staffing restructure because of what it described as “extremely high financial challenges”.
And the industrial action forced the schools to either close or restrict the number of its lessons, meaning hundreds of pupils had to stay at home.
With the summer holidays fast approaching, representatives from the two teachers’ unions involved, the National Education Union (NEU) and the NASUWT, the Teachers Union, were due to meet trustees.
And ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service), the mediation body that helps to resolve employment disputes, was due to host crunch talks with the two parties for a third time.
Finally, on Wednesday this week (July 22, 6 pm to 7 pm), the unions have organised an online meeting with parents to give them a full update before the schools break up until September.
Parents can register for the Zoom meeting by following this link https://neu-org-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/VIN8_ZCeSiy6nuMFa_5nzw#/registration
"The intention of the meeting is to inform parents and the local community regarding where we started, where we are now and how we will move forward,” said Elodie Fleet, industrial organiser for the NEU.
"Our members are currently being asked to tell their school rep whether they would like to pause the action or proceed in September based on promises that were made in the last meeting with ACAS and the trust on July 9."
A poster advertising Wednesday’s online meeting says it will discuss “why staff have been striking, what position we’re in now and what will be happening in the next academic year”.
Trustees have been invited, and there will be an opportunity for parents to ask questions.
Elodie continued: “While Horncastle Education Trust is able to contact parents directly, the staff can only do so via their union.
"Without individual parent emails, it is significantly harder for us to share the staff’s perspective with the local community.”
The unions describe the proposed measures at the schools as “catastrophic” and say they would “decimate schools, raise class-sizes and adversely affect the most vulnerable pupils”.
Teachers’ workloads would be increased because of staff cuts, reducing the amount of time they had for essential lesson-planning, preparation, marking and assessment.
For the trust, chief executive officer Sandra James insists the restructure would “secure the quality of teaching, support and student safety, in addition to achieving financial savings”.
She accepted that it was “a heartbreaking situation to be in” and added: “The potential impact of a restructure of this nature cannot be under-estimated.”
Mrs James is pinning her hopes on “helpful” meetings with ACAS resolving the dispute. She said: “There are so many positive things across our schools that we all want to build upon, and we will continue to work tirelessly to find a way forward.”