Staff walk out over restructuring plans for two schools

The National Education Union said the turnout on Tuesday "was huge"

Staff at a state school are taking industrial action in protest at restructuring plans.

The Sherborne Area Schools' Trust (SAST) said Shaftesbury School and Sturminster Newton High in Dorset had been facing a budget deficit of £1m between them so it was "looking to share some leadership roles across the two schools to reduce overheads".

On 17 June, Shaftesbury School staff who are members of the National Education Union (NEU) walked out over the restructure, which the NEU said would "take teaching resource away from the front line."

SAST said it continued to engage "in constructive dialogue with union colleagues".

Jon Timbrell, who represents the NEU in the South West, said the restructure is "stripping half of the heads of curriculum out of the schools" and "prioritising retaining a large layer of executive management".

He said a lot of the changes the trust had proposed "have been really unpopular within the community" and the turnout on Tuesday "was huge", with sixth formers, parents and other residents coming to show support.

"In negotiations with the trust, we raised the fact that the financial picture has changed quite significantly," Mr Timbrell added, referring to the 4% pay rise for teachers announced by the government and the investment in education proposed in the spending review.

He said the union was calling on the trust "to look again at the figures in light of that as well."

More strikes are planned for next Tuesday and Wednesday.

A union representative said a lot of the changes the trust had proposed "have been really unpopular within the community"

SAST said the plans were "designed to ensure long-term financial sustainability".

It said similar issues were being faced "by many rural secondary schools, who are having to decide whether their sixth forms are sustainable".

It had also commissioned an independent report in conjunction with the Department for Education, which looked at ways to reduce costs "whilst maintaining educational provision".

The schools already share an executive headteacher and operate in a joint sixth form.

"We believe that sixth forms should remain in our local communities, and we are therefore looking to share some leadership roles across the two schools to reduce overheads whilst encouraging collaboration between them," the trust said.

It added there had been "a full consultation involving staff and union representatives".

"We have listened throughout and made considered adjustments in response to genuine feedback, while keeping our focus on what matters most — the experience and outcomes of our students."