Teacher walk-out at failing school
More than two thirds of teachers at a failing Walsall school where Ofsted inspectors were pelted with food are set to strike tomorrow over safety fears.
The action at Willenhall E-Act Academy was being taken by members of National Union of Teachers (NUT) and NASUWT Teachers Union over ‘unreasonable’ management and safety of staff.
They have also announced two further walk-outs on July 5 and 6, and are not ruling out more if demands for better support are not met.
Last night, unions bosses said around 60 of the 80 teachers at the school were members. But bosses said they will bring in teachers from elsewhere to avoid having to shut to pupils. The school was put it in special measures earlier this year after a damning Ofsted inspection. The report found 70 per cent of teachers left the school during 2015 and 2016.
It also found over a third of pupils in Years 7 to 11 are persistently absent, and Ofsted inspectors were pelted with food by misbehaving children during the visit.
A spokesman for E-ACT said the strike action was ‘extremely disruptive’ and revealed it had offered to delay bringing in a new timetable as part of a deal for the walk-out to be called off, but to no avail.
Russ Bragger, secretary at Walsall NUT, said: “We are very concerned about the safety of staff, the school’s behaviour management systems and unreasonable management demands. They need the support, or we will keep seeing the high turnover which is damaging any prospect of this school improving.”
The Ofsted report published in May rated the school ‘inadequate’ in every category.
Now in special measures, the school will be monitored more closely by the education watchdog to ensure improvement. The NUT said: “We have been unable to get E-ACT to address the staff’s concerns and suggestions for improving the school that have been put forward over many months. We therefore have no option but to sanction strike action.”
The spokesman for E-ACT said: “Naturally, we have been keen to avert the strike action, and to this end, we offered to delay the implementation of a new timetable if the NUT and NASUWT agree to call off the strike. Sadly, the unions have rejected this offer. We can confirm that supported by colleagues from elsewhere in E-ACT, the academy will be opening as normal on Tuesday.”
He added: “We take seriously the concerns raised by union members.”
