John Cabot Academy

30 November 2011 – Planned Strike Action

30th November 2011 – Planned Strike Action

Parents and students may be aware of the intention of leading trade unions across the country to strike on Wednesday 30th November 2011, as they did on 30th June 2011, in protest against the Government’s plans for public sector pensions.  The strike in June 2011 was not fully embraced by all unions and so I was able to keep the Academy open for all students, even though around 15 staff were absent due to the protest.  Parents and students may be aware that it is illegal for me to use supply teachers or non striking teachers to cover the work of colleagues absent due to the strike and so the challenge to maintain a normal school day is significant, with student safety at its heart.  Staff are not obliged to declare their intention to strike in advance of the 30th November 2011; however, I am pleased to say that staff at the Academy have been willing to be transparent about their intentions, enabling me to plan my response in advance.  With this coming strike due to be engaged in by all leading teaching unions, I will be unable to keep the Academy open as normal:  I regret this as it constitutes wasted learning time, but my highest priority must be to ensure I can keep your children safe.

I will not be striking and neither will any of my Assistant Principals.  Furthermore, I am certain of around 30 members of staff (21 teachers) who have declared their intention to be at work and so I have made the following decision:

Year 7-10:             the Academy will be closed to these students.  There will be academic provision via the Academy website so that these students can continue to learn at home.

Year 11:                all of Year 11 are expected to be in school, during which time they will participate in a personalised study day.  More info to come.

Year 12 & 13:      the Academy will be open to these students to use the Cabot Eye as a supervised study area to catch up with study, work on their university applications and further study where appropriate.  There will be no CLF Post 16 buses running.

The school bus service at the start and end of day will run as normal.  The Celebration of Achievement Event, planned for that night, will also still run as planned.

In making this decision 20 days in advance of the strike, I hope that parents are able to make contingency child care plans.  Any parents unable to make such plans should contact me to discuss the matter further.

ADAM WILLIAMS, PRINCIPAL