St Ives teachers to strike over 'heavy handed' policies

NASUWT members at St Ivo Academy are planning to strike on 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 of November

Union members say planned strikes over behaviour policies at a secondary school will go ahead.

NASUWT members at St Ivo Academy in St Ives are staging the first of five walkouts.

They say teachers are having to enforce "questionable rules" which will limit their ability to manage behaviour.

The trust which runs the school said it was disappointed that the strike was going ahead but it would be open as normal.

The dispute centres on new policies being introduced at the school by the Sheffield-based Astrea Academy Trust.

NASUWT union members say the rules include:

• Having the same punishments for everything from forgetting a pen to deliberate vandalism

• Silence in all corridors at all times

• Pupils sitting in rows even during drama lessons

Talks between the academy trust and the union to resolve the issue appear to have stalled.

Mark Burns, the NASUWT's national executive member for Cambridgeshire, said: "Despite some initial progress in talks, Astrea have imposed new policies during the period of action which were not consulted on and have a significant detrimental impact on members' terms and conditions.  

"Members feel they have no alternative."

NASUWT general secretary, Dr Patrick Roach, says the new rules "undermine authority in the classroom"

The union's general secretary, Dr Patrick Roach, said: "Members at St Ivo Academy feel that the draconian nature of Astrea's behaviour policies limit their ability to teach.

"Teachers need policies that empower them, but instead they are being asked to enforce questionable rules that undermine their authority in the classroom."

Members of the NEU union at the school will not be striking but the union has sent a letter of support to the NASUWT.

A parents' forum at the academy has written to its leaders to accuse them of introducing "punishment focused" disciplinary methods which leave some students "literally living in fear".

The Astrea Trust says the school will operate as normal and its "doors remain open for further discussion"

A spokesperson for the Astrea Academy Trust said: "Obviously it's disappointing news that the strike action is going ahead.

"We believed there were three remaining issues of contention, covering staff development, a dress code for staff, and limiting the number of after school meetings to one per week.  

"Last Friday, we agreed to further consultation and engagement on the three outstanding areas raised by the unions. Our doors remain open for further discussion.

"In the meantime, St Ivo will open as normal on strike days and we will do everything we can to ensure our students experience as little disruption as possible."