Teachers strike in union protest over school leadership
TEACHERS have walked out of the classroom in a strike over the way their school is managed.
Twelve members of the NASUWT teaching union at Chepstow Comprehensive School, in Monmouthshire, yesterday took the first of eight planned days of strike action over what they say are “adverse management practices which are having a detrimental effect on the working conditions and welfare of members”.
Seven more strike days are planned during what is a key exam period in May and June, and also in July.
In 2015 a group of former teachers called for an independent inquiry into the way the school was run. Last year the school, which has 100 staff and 977 pupils, was asked to draw up an action plan after Estyn inspectors rated it as adequate and needing improvement in four of the five areas looked at, including teaching and learning. Standards were ranked as “good”.
Craig Bridgman, chairman of the school’s governors, said the school always seeks good relationships with staff.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “The action being taken at Chepstow Comprehensive School is in protest over the repeated failure of the governing body to effectively address long-standing issues over the way in which the school is being managed. The NASUWT had recently sought to resolve the ongoing situation through a collective grievance, but was forced to withdraw from the process when it became apparent that the governing body was going to treat the concerns as individual grievances rather than accepting that there was a collective issue at the school.
“Teachers have a right to work in an atmosphere of mutual professional trust and respect and to be treated with dignity. That culture is sadly lacking at Chepstow Comprehensive School.”
Rex Phillips, NASUWT National Official Wales, said: “Our members have had enough of the punitive management practices which have become part of the culture at Chepstow Comprehensive School.
“They feel undervalued, unsupported and disenfranchised from the decision-making processes within the school.
“It is not acceptable for teachers to work in a climate of fear and there needs to be a return to a management approach based on collegiality and co-operation.
“The NASUWT remains willing to engage with the employer to work towards this objective.”
Mr Bridgman said: “We are very disappointed that strike action is being threatened by one of the four teacher unions at our school.
“Last July the NASUWT informed the governors they intended to take out a grievance against the management of the school. The chair of governors met informally with a group of teachers in November to try to discuss their issues. The governors established a formal procedure to listen to the group complaint, but no detail has been given to the governors in the five months since the procedure was put in place, last November.
“We are still hopeful that worthwhile discussions may happen that will resolve this situation as soon as possible. The school’s aim is to safeguard the education of all the young people we serve. The school will continue to focus on giving our students the best possible educational experiences and to ensure that all staff fulfil this duty in a professional and effective manner.”