In Scunthorpe, staff at three schools are set to be balloted on potential industrial action. This comes in response to Outwood Grange Academies Trust’s (OGAT) plans to extend the teaching day by an additional 30 minutes starting in September. The NASUWT teaching union, representing affected staff, argues that this change will reduce the time available for teachers to prepare lessons, sparking significant concerns among educators.
The schools involved are Outwood Academy Foxhills, Outwood Academy Brumby, and Outwood Junior Academy Brumby, all managed by OGAT. The trust's proposal to extend teaching hours aims to increase the time spent with students, aligning with the Government's minimum expectation of a 32.5-hour teaching week. However, this adjustment has met with resistance from the NASUWT union, which represents staff at 28 of OGAT’s 41 schools.
Dr. Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT union, has voiced strong opposition to the proposed changes.
"We have made it clear to OGAT that its plans to substantially increase teacher contact time amounts to one of the worst attacks on teachers' terms and conditions that risks moving OGAT from being a relatively successful trust to one that will experience significant employee turnover and industrial relations problems." – Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary
The union has called for OGAT to withdraw these plans, expressing concerns about potential negative impacts on teachers' working conditions. The proposed changes have stirred anxiety over possible increased workload and decreased preparation time for educators.
A spokesperson for OGAT defended the trust's decision, stating that the current teaching schedule does not meet the Government's expectations.
"We have to recognise, currently falls short of the Government's 32.5-hour-a-week minimum expectation." – Spokesperson for OGAT
Despite assurances from OGAT that the new schedule would not require staff to work beyond their contracted hours, tensions remain high. The NASUWT sees this as a significant challenge to teacher autonomy and work-life balance.
