Histon & Impington schools could be faced with a strike by teachers and non-teaching support staff if the National Education Union (NEU) is unable to secure an acceptable pay deal for their members.
The union says they have called the strike due to “a crisis of recruitment and retention within the school system” which they attribute to “a decade of falling pay”.
Four provisional dates have been set for the strike: 1 February, and 1, 15 and 16 March. NEU members working in Histon & Impington schools may choose to take part on those days, but the situation will remain unclear until the last minute unless an agreement is reached.
At Impington Village College (IVC), it is estimated that more than half of the teaching staff could take part in industrial action. As such, the school has taken the decision not to open on strike days. Instead, students will be set the DfE-recommended five hours of remote learning per day, with plans in place to cater for students with EHCPs and the children of critical workers.
Headteacher of Brook Primary School Jonathan Newman explained in a letter to parents and carers: “…we are not always aware of precisely how many employees intend to join the strike action as individuals are not under any obligation to notify us in advance. As a result, this can make predicting the impact of action difficult.
“We hope to be able to remain open as much as possible during the strike, but we are aware that a number of our staff are members of the NEU and that, consequently, some disruption is possible…”
Parents and carers from Park Primary received an identical letter. Both primary schools and the Meridian Trust, to which they belong, are neither supporting nor opposing the NEU action. They are urging parents not to discuss the strike with members of staff and are asking staff to avoid discussing their personal views on the action with parents, carers and pupils.