NUT STRIKE - 5TH JULY

Dear Parents/Carers,

Strike Action by Members of the National Union of Teachers – Tuesday 5 July

I am writing to inform you about strike action that is being taken by members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) on 5 July and to advise you about arrangements for the school on that day.

NUT members have voted to take discontinuous strike action. This means there will be a series of strike dates, with the first strike day on Tuesday 5 July 2016. The NUT has said that further strike days could follow in the autumn term if the Government fails to respond positively to its concerns.

Why has the NUT called a strike?

The NUT states that its strike action is over two issues - school funding and the deregulation of national terms and conditions for teachers.

The NUT says it is calling on the Government to reverse the real-terms cut in funding for schools and that it wants a new national negotiating framework to resolve issues around teacher workload, terms and conditions of service for teachers.

The NUT states that its members do not take strike action lightly but they feel they have no alternative in trying to persuade the Government of the need for investment in education, rather than cuts that they believe will damage education. The union says almost 92% of those voting in a lawful industrial action ballot agreed to the action.

What does this mean for our school?

Teachers in our school who are members of the NUT will be on strike on 5 July.

How will this affect my children?

• As Executive Headteacher, I am responsible, in consultation with the Chair of Governors, for deciding what will happen in our school on the day of the strike. My decision has been informed by the risk assessment that I have carried out to determine the impact of the strike on the health and safety of pupils and staff.  The decision I have made is the school must be closed to all pupils for that day.

I appreciate that closing the school will cause inconvenience for families and it is not a decision that I have taken lightly. I can assure you that in forming my decision I have taken into account the well-being of all pupils and their families and school staff.

Yours sincerely

Nicky Zeronian-Dalley

Executive Headteacher