York school strikes: thousands of pupils told to stay home

The latest strikes are set to go ahead on Thursday (April 27) and Tuesday, May 2.

The largest education union in the country the National Education Union (NEU) voted not to accept the Government's pay offer earlier this month with 98 per cent of teacher members in England, who responded in a consultative ballot, voting to turn down the deal.

The result of the ballot was announced at the start of the NEU’s annual conference held in Harrogate on April 3.

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After a period of intensive talks with unions, the Government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year and an average 4.5 per cent pay rise for staff next year.

Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said children and staff are “bearing the brunt of the workforce crisis” in schools.

She said Education Secretary is “deluded” and “living in a fantasy world” over recruitment and retention challenges facing schools, the leader of the largest education union has said.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has been criticised

Andrew Daly, who is CEO of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust in York and executive head at Archbishop Holgate's CE in Badger Hill, said his school is only open to Year 11 and 13 pupils and those classed as 'vulnerable' that day with other year groups having to log in to Google classroom at home.

He said: "Whilst we are anticipating a similar situation at Archbishop’s to the previous strike days, we cannot guarantee this as the NEU membership within our schools may have changed since then and the number of teachers planning to participate in the industrial action may also be different.

"However, based on previous industrial action we know that we have a high level of NEU membership at Archbishop Holgate’s and the uncertainty around the number of colleagues who will be taking part in industrial action means that there will be significant impact on the normal running of the school.

"Unfortunately, once again, the school will only be open for Vulnerable and EHCP students, and for those students in Year 11 and Year 13. Year 12 students will be at home accessing live lessons via Google Classroom. Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students will be at home and will have work to complete on Google Classroom."

Andrew Daly pictured with pupils at Archbishop Holgate's CE School

A Department of Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “Following a week negotiating in good faith, the Government offered teachers a £1,000 payment on top of this year’s pay rise, a commitment to cut workload by five hours per week, and a headline pay increase of 4.5 per cent for next year – above both inflation and average earnings growth.

“The offer was funded, including major new investment of over half-a-billion pounds, and helps tackle issues teachers are facing like workload.

“NEU, NAHT and ASCL’s decision to reject this offer will simply result in more disruption for children.”