Staff at St Andrew’s CE VA Primary School in Grandale, Hull, started an indefinite strike on Wednesday. In doing so, they are protesting against what they argue is deeply unfair treatment at the school. Members of the National Education Union (NEU) have started a wave of strike action. This decision follows their having escalated a list of 14 long-standing grievances to school governors, starting in March.
In December that year the school laid off two assistant head teachers. This decision opened a leadership vacuum that has contributed to chaos across the entire school. The lack of consistent leadership has left a deep mark on the teaching climate. As a consequence, teachers are raising their dissatisfaction in a much louder manner.
Paula Burgin, a representative from the Hull branch of NEU, highlighted issues such as “inconsistent application of policies around pay, sickness absence and discipline that has led to unfair treatment of staff.” The lack of explicit and strategic leadership has aggravated challenges that existed before the pandemic, limiting educators’ ability to prepare and support their students.
As a result of the strike, classes at St Andrew’s CE VA Primary School were sent home. This decision greatly affected the lives of students and families. Teachers are optimistic that this action will lead to constructive dialogue with school administration, aiming to resolve their concerns swiftly.
Irene Treston-Waller, Douglass’ school counselor and long-time employee at the school for more than a dozen years, shared that the staff are so committed. She stated, “We are doing our best but we would really like additional support for those children who need it most.” This feeling speaks to the larger pattern seen in educators across the country—universal cries for proper resources and support for their students in the wake of sustained adversity.
Throughout the process, the NEU has highlighted the need for a holistic approach to all of our issues brought forward by the staff. “Overall, we’ve got lots of issues that have been raised and I think they all need to be addressed… and in a timely fashion so that we can get on with our job, which is not being in here; it’s being out there teaching our children,” a staff member noted.
Instead, a single spokesperson for the district made a public statement. In response, they committed to keeping parents informed of any escalation to strike action. “We will ensure that all parents are kept fully informed about whether there will be any further strike action, however we hope to be able to avoid this by having constructive dialogue with trade union representatives.”
