The next two scheduled days of industrial action by the National Education Union (NEU) are approaching on Thursday 27th April and Tuesday 2nd May. The action by the NEU will have a severe impact on the school and it is important that we are able to comply with our key priority of ensuring the Health and Safety of our students and staff.
With external examinations fast approaching for our Year 11 and Year 13 students, the key focus of our provision over the two days of action will be to ensure that these students receive the maximum amount of teaching and preparation time that they need for their forthcoming examinations.
Years 11 and 13
The school will remain open for all students in Years 11 and 13, and we expect students in these year groups to come into school as they would on a normal school day. The staff in school will deliver normal timetabled lessons and we anticipate, in this round of industrial action, that there will be a greatly increased number of lessons taking place due to a focus on ensuring that any disruption to student preparation for external examinations is minimised. As a result, we expect all Year 11 and 13 students to come into school for their lessons and this important examination preparation.
There may still be an unavoidable occasion when staff are not available to deliver a normal timetabled lesson, but we expect this to be the exception. Should this be the case, students will undertake independent revision work in a supervised year group “study base” venue and they should bring work into school to support their revision and preparation for forthcoming examinations.
Year 12
The school will be open for Year 12 students. As on previous days of industrial action, if lessons are cancelled, students will be expected to undertake independent study in the Sixth Form area. We envisage a combination of lessons and independent study that reflects previous days of industrial action.
Year 10
The school will be partially closed for Year 10 students. A number of students are currently preparing for Pearson Set Assessments (PSA’s) that will count towards their final external examination grades, and the deadline is pressing. In light of this, we will be identifying and contacting a target cohort of students that will be specifically invited to come into school on the days of industrial action. Students in these year groups not contacted directly by the school in advance, are not required to come in on the day. Work will be provided on the Frog VLE by staff not involved in industrial action for their own classes. For those students entitled to a free school meal and not in school, we will be providing a free school meals voucher.
Years 7, 8 and 9
The school will close for normal timetabled lessons in Years 7, 8, 9. Students in these year groups are not required to come into school. There will be a very small number of students from these year groups contacted in advance to come into school on the day itself. Students in these year groups not contacted directly by the school in advance, are not required to come in on the day. Work will be provided on the Frog VLE by staff not involved in industrial action for their own classes. For those students entitled to a free school meal and not in school, we will be providing a free school meals voucher.
I will write to you again in advance of any future planned days of action by the NEU. Clearly, in the run up to external examinations Year 11, Year 12, Year 13 and specific Year 10 students must take priority in order to support their next progression steps and career aspirations. On each day of industrial action we will continue to focus on providing as much consistency as we possibly can for our students, balanced with ensuring the Health and Safety of everyone in school.
We understand the inconvenience this may cause you. Please be assured that we never take the decision to partially close the school lightly. With the exception of the industrial action days identified in this letter, our school will remain open as usual to all of our pupils on all other days. Thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support.
Yours faithfully
STEVE CAMPBELL
PRINCIPAL