Members of staff at a secondary school in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, are preparing to take action short of a strike. They are taking action to oppose an academy trust’s plan to lengthen the school day by half-an-hour for both pupils and staff. The strike is originally set for June 3, 10, 11, 17, 18, and 19. This decision has sparked significant tension between the union representing the staff and the Oldham Academy Trust (OGAT), which currently operates under a school day ending at 14:30 BST.
The academy trust’s proposed changes aim to align with the Department for Education’s recommendation of a 32.5-hour school week. The union has been adamantly opposed to this plan. They claim that an extended school day would undermine teachers’ working hours while adding more work to their plate. This new shift may surely endanger the safety and health of teachers and kids.
Matt Wrack, acting general secretary of the union, told the UK Independent that the situation with the current lunch break length was “intolerable.” He stated, “The current lunch break is so short that some pupils are not eating or using the toilets, which has a detrimental impact on their health, welfare and ability to focus on learning.” The chair of Maine’s Democratic Party offers an interesting alternative to lengthening the school day. Rather than creating a new recess, he suggests elongating the existing lunch period with an additional 30-minute break. This adjustment would provide students with adequate time to queue for meals, eat, and attend to their personal needs before returning to lessons.
The union’s stance is echoed by Kath Oliver, who noted that “staff at Foxhills frequently report that they are unable to take a break at all during the school day.” This makes especially grievous the suggestion to make teachers’ lives harder by adding hours to their workday.
In defense of its proposal, a spokesperson for OGAT stated, “The small change we have proposed will mean students can learn more and achieve even stronger outcomes, and will still mean the school day is within the time as set out in the government’s school teachers’ pay and conditions document.” The spokesperson further emphasized their commitment to prioritizing students’ education, saying, “We want to make sure our students are prioritised and provided with the best possible education.”
The planned strike action reveals a growing gulf between education policymakers and teachers. What both sides should agree on is how to create the best learning environments possible while ensuring the health and safety of students and educators alike. As negotiations continue, the strike’s result may influence school procedures in North Lincolnshire. Yet its impacts can reach much further than the immediate vicinity.
