As The Press reported last week, staff at All Saints RC School in South Bank who are National Education Union (NEU) union members were set to walk out on strike starting tomorrow and Wednesday (October 8 and 9) over what it claimed were numerous major disagreements between the school and the Middlesbrough academy chain to which it now belongs – Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT).
Further strikes were also planned for October 14-16 and 22-25.
On Thursday last week about 150 people crammed into Southlands Methodist Church in South Bank to discuss the plan at a public meeting.
The next day the NEU members at All Saints held a meeting and decided to call off the strike.
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“We don’t want to disrupt children’s education at the minute.”
Michael Kearney, NEU secretary for city of York, said: “In a gesture of goodwill to the trust, we have decided to delay the strikes in order to pursue further negotiations.
“It was clear from our public meeting on Thursday that there was overwhelming support for our members and their actions, and we will now use this brief interim period to channel that support into producing a positive outcome for our students and community.
“The ball is now firmly in the MAT’s court, and we hope they will do everything in their power to avert industrial action in the near future.
“In their ungraded inspection last year Ofsted unheld their ‘outstanding’ rating, but the school has subsequently had inspectors in again earlier this year and again last week pending the outcome of a report.”
In a letter to parents at the school trust CEO, Hugh Hegarty, said: “I am writing to acknowledge a meeting that took place on Thursday evening, during which various issues and concerns related to the trust were discussed.
“I understand that such meetings are held out of a shared interest in the wellbeing and future of our schools, and we respect the right of parents and community members to express their views openly.
“However, it has come to my attention that points raised during this meeting contain factual inaccuracies and misrepresent the trust. It is important to clarify that these statements do not reflect the true position or values of our organisation.
“As a trust, we are committed to transparency and open communication. Our goal is to ensure that every parent and guardian has access to accurate and up-to-date information about our decisions, policies and the educational environment we provide. I believe it is essential to address any misunderstandings and to provide clarity on any issues that may cause concern.
“I encourage you to wait until the report following the Ofsted inspection which finished last week is published so that I can address issues in line with reporting responsibilities. Working together, I can ensure that the narrative surrounding our schools is based on facts and shared understanding, keeping the best interests of our students at the forefront of all that we do.”
