Dear Parents and Carers,

You might have seen in the news this week that teacher members of the National Education Union (NEU) have voted to strike. This is in response to an ongoing national dispute with the government over pay and conditions, not our school or multi-academy trust.  Our local relationships remain strong and positive, and we continue to work closely with our unions to support our employees – both teaching and all other professional staff in all aspects of their employment.

You can find further information about the strikes and NEU’s motivation on their website. The strikes in our region will be taking place on:

• Wednesday 1^st February
• Wednesday 1^st March
• Wednesday 15^th March
• Thursday 16^th March

As members of teaching staff who are taking part in the strike action are not required to let their school know in advance, it’s very difficult for us to judge the impact this action will have on our school.

NEU is one of the largest trades unions for teachers and support staff, and we are aware that a high proportion of our staff are members of the NEU.

It is, therefore, very likely that we will be impacted in some way, and that the school may be closed for some year groups on the dates above. As always, our first priority will be to provide care for our vulnerable pupils, and after that, we will prioritise those currently studying for their exams in Years 11 and 13.

We understand the potential impact making changes would have on our families and are working carefully through our contingency plans as a Trust. We will do all we can, as we did throughout Covid, to keep our school open.  We know our parents and carers will recognise that this is our intention, and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. We will be in touch again by next Friday to update you and will confirm our arrangements for these dates as soon as we can.

Yours sincerely

Tony Segalini

Principal