Dispute at Uplands Junior School

By Heather Rawling retired NUT member

Events have moved rapidly since teachers at Uplands Junior School in Leicester staged their second one day strike.

The head, Dr Luckcock and Governors had been so determined to keep the school open that staff were seriously concerned for the quality of education and health and safety of the pupils. A letter had gone out to parents asking them to come into school on Tuesday to support the children. Wives of governors were taking groups of children and staff don’t know if proper Safeguarding Children procedures such as CRB checks were made.

Teaching assistants were so stressed by the experience and months of grievances with the head that many are now off sick. ATL members have balloted in support of strike action. Even admin staff did not want to work. Consequently, the school was completely shut on the third day of action.

Staff are completely united in their defence of teaching assistant jobs at the school and their demands to suspend the head teacher and review of staffing structure. An independent investigation has been agreed which will take a minimum of three weeks to read evidence of a whole raft of grievances, interview people and reach conclusions. The end of the academic year is only one week later.

Until the investigation process is completed, no-one knows what class they will be taking and what support from teaching assistants will be there. All staff are concerned for the quality of education that will be delivered and are taking action to defend the standards of teaching and learning delivered in the school.

UNISON have finally agreed to requests by members and their local full time organizer to ballot for strike action.

At a meeting of staff from all unions, some staff expressed a lack of trust in the local authority. It is important that whilst cooperating with the independent investigation, the option of continuing strike action is maintained to demonstrate the continued dissatisfaction of the staff and their determination to win their dispute.

For a report on Tuesday’s strike, see the national Socialist Party web site here.