STRIKING Shaftesbury School teachers are drawing increasing public support in their dispute over restructuring, as the Sherborne Area Schools Trust (SAST) refuses to come back to the negotiating table.
SAST has made a number of teachers redundant in a cost-cutting exercise and now expects Heads of Department to be shared between Shaftesbury School and Sturminster Newton High School – the schools are nearly ten miles apart.
A video of teachers on the picket line at Shaftesbury School went viral on TikTok over the weekend.
In the video, Shaftesbury teacher Rachel Sammons explains the ‘traumatic’ impact of losing her job as Head of English after working at the school for twenty five years.
Thousands of people, including her ex-pupils, have commented to share their shock and dismay at the cuts.
Matt Wrack, Acting General Secretary of the NASUWT teachers union, said: ‘The brutal restructure at Shaftesbury School mirrors a worrying trend in education: when schools need to save money, experienced teachers are often the first to go.
‘Experienced teachers bring a wealth of irreplaceable wisdom and skill to their classrooms.
‘Not only are they subject experts, but they are essential as mentors for early career teachers, and the long term relationships they build with local communities are worth their weight in gold.
‘It is unacceptable that academy trusts continue to discard such valuable teachers when their CEOs often earn more than the Prime Minister.
‘We are asking SAST to get back around the table as a matter of urgency.
‘Consigning expert teachers to the scrap heap is detrimental to the education of pupils and to the teaching profession as a whole.’
Mike Leigh, the union’s National Executive Member for Dorset, said: ‘SAST is trying to split Head of Department teachers across two schools when they are nine miles apart.
‘This is a logistical nightmare.
‘When one teacher has to cover two jobs, other teachers will be expected to absorb extra workload.
‘This is unacceptable when the average teacher already works around fifty hours per week.
‘This restructure appears to prioritise cost cutting over teachers’ wellbeing and pupils’ education.
‘We had meetings with SAST, but suddenly they pulled back.
‘All we’re asking is that they reopen negotiations so we can try to find a solution that works for everyone.
‘We are the teachers union – we won’t give in.’
A selection of comments from the public on the viral video, which has had almost 950,000 views across platforms in two days, include:
‘Miss Sammons did not deserve to lose her job at Shaftesbury School! I don’t understand it whatsoever, I had her as my English teacher for two years and she was the best teacher I ever had… she changed my perspective on English.’ – Chloe
‘I was in the first cohort of sixth formers who shared studying A-Levels between Shaftesbury Upper and Sturminster Newton.
‘It was a complete shambles. I’ve also taught for years, and know that the idea of sharing staff between school sites which are ten miles apart is ludicrous. – Emma Norman.’
‘Ms Sammons campaigned for my grades in 2020 and helped me throughout English. I think that losing her position as Head of English is a fatal mistake from SAST.” – Alan Bard.’
‘As a student of this school who has just finished their A-Levels, it’s pretty sad to see all of this happen. The amount of stress that it’s put on teachers, fearing for their jobs and trying to find new ones… They’re losing lots of teachers that are wonderful at their job, have passion and care for these students… I fear for the current and future parents and students of this school. – Ella.’
‘Miss Sammons was my English teacher, she’s incredible. She and the other teachers deserve so much better. – Chelsea.’
‘Do people not realise how important teachers are? I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for my secondary school form room teacher. – Lu.’
‘Sammons you legend, always inspired me… to this day, I still love reading! – Accey.’
‘We are all behind you… trust academies have no understanding of why we teach… for them, it’s just numbers and budgets. Disgusting and disgraceful. – Francie.’
Meanwhile, a ballot for industrial action opened on Monday at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) in a dispute over job cuts and university senior management’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies.
The ballot could pave the way for strikes at the university.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at UWS are being asked if they are prepared to take part in strike action and action short of strike. Action short of strike could include working to contract and not covering for any absent colleagues. The ballot will run until 14 August.
It follows the announcement in January this year of cuts by the university’s senior management of £16.9 million.
Since then, £8 million has already been cut with the loss of over 112 staff positions.
Despite those staff having already left and savings already having been made, senior managers are pressing ahead with plans to cut another 75 jobs and are refusing unions’ demands to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies.
The union said that cuts at this scale and the loss of so many jobs in such a short space of time will be devastating both to the remaining staff and to the students at the university.
As well as the impact on staff being put out of work at a time when jobs are being lost across the higher education sector, the cuts will result in higher workload on the already hard-pressed staff who remain.
UCU UWS branch president, Jamie Hopkin, said: ‘Management at UWS are pressing on with detrimental plans to make staff redundant that will do nothing other than diminish the university’s standing, and harm the students that study here.
‘Staff do not want to go on strike, but what is being proposed will damage UWS’s crucial missions of teaching, research and widening access to higher education.
‘I can see even in my own work that those staff that remain will be under increasing pressure with unmanageable workloads and will have less time to offer students in need of support with their studies.
‘Members at UWS are genuinely angry at the actions of senior managers. Members need to return their ballots and force the principal to think again and to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies.’
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘UWS is genuinely important to communities across the West of Scotland.
‘Cutting staff on this scale doesn’t sit with the university’s responsibility and commitment to local communities in Paisley, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and the South of Scotland.
‘The principal and senior managers need to change course or else they face the prospect of industrial action and strikes.’
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The University and College Union (UCU) has condemned plans by Redbridge Institute of Adult Education (RIAE) to cut at least 12 staff ahead of the new academic year this September, and confirmed staff will be protesting against the cuts later this week.
On Friday (11 July) staff and students will demonstrate outside the college at 12.30pm to demand management halts the cuts.
RIAE management is trying to slash jobs, cut student service provision and reduce teaching hours.
Management claims the cuts are necessary due to funding pressures. However, UCU, supported by fellow unions Unison, GMB and NEU, said the proposals are unjustified, excessive, and deeply damaging to students and staff.
The union also warned the loss of experienced teaching and support staff would harm students and place unsustainable pressure on remaining staff.
UCU has serious concerns about the way the restructure is being managed. It says the redundancy process is potentially unlawful, and the employer has failed to meet key obligations under Redbridge Council policy, particularly regarding voluntary redundancy and efforts to avoid compulsory job losses.
The cuts unfairly target a small group of frontline staff, while senior and middle management roles are left untouched.
Despite repeated calls for transparency, RIAE has refused to freeze all consultancy spending or explain why some senior staff teams were excluded from the restructure process.
The proposed course closures will also have a devastating impact on the local community, particularly for those who rely on adult education as a lifeline to employment, independence, and social inclusion.
UCU is alarmed that no impact assessment has been carried out to evaluate how the closures will affect learners. There are no plans in place to support those who will be forced to travel to alternative colleges, which, in some cases, do not even offer equivalent courses.
The four unions submitted a detailed counterproposal outlining practical alternatives, including savings on non-staff costs, a phased restructure and voluntary redundancy options.
However, RIAE rejected all calls to negotiate a resolution with the unions, insisting that the formal consultation will continue and that decisions must be finalised before the end of the academic year.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Redbridge Institute’s refusal to engage properly with union proposals or take every possible step to avoid compulsory redundancies is deeply disappointing.
‘The threatened cuts will hollow out an essential community institution, and the damage to learners, particularly adults returning to education, will be immense.
‘We are calling on local Labour politicians, especially the three Labour councillors who sit on the board of governors, to intervene.
‘If Labour is serious about supporting education and workers, it must not stand by while these destructive cuts go ahead.’
