Teaching jobs under threat
INCREASED pressure on school budgets could see teachers and staff lose their jobs in Nuneaton.
Staff at three Nuneaton schools face an uncertain future as the trust which runs the schools looks at staff restructuring.
It comes as schools across the country face increased budget strains and other challenges amid rising costs.
The Midland Academies Trust (MAT) has proposed what it has described as a “restructure of academic and support staff ” across the trust – which includes Hartshill School, George Eliot School, the Nuneaton Academy and Heath Lane Academy in Earl Shilton.
In a statement released by the MAT it says the changes need to be made in response to a number of factors. Firstly, curriculum changes brought about by the introduction of Progress 8 measures, a system that will capture the progress of pupils from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school, and also to facilitate a greater level of collaboration between all the academies in the MAT.
Secondly, the MAT says that there is a need to guarantee consistency and efficiency across the trust.
Finally, the trust says it is facing mounting pressure on school budgets.
Despite government claims that funding for school has remained static, rising costs faced by all schools mean that, according to the National Audit Office, there will be £3 billion less in school budgets between 2019 and 2020.
The Mat statement adds: “Not only does the current staffing structure at the Trust need to change in order to meet the demands of the curriculum strategy, it also needs to change in order to become financially sustainable.”
MAT says that trade unions were briefed on Friday, March 10, and the official consultation started among staff on Monday, March 13.
The consultation period for academic staff will close on Wednesday, April 12, and the consultation period for support staff is set to come to an end on Tuesday, May 2.