- February 15, 2023
Dear Parents and Carers,
As you are no doubt aware the National Education Union (NEU) is coordinating a series of teacher strikes on the following dates: Tuesday 28 February 2023; Wednesday 15 March 2023; Thursday 16 March 2023.
I am writing to you now so that you have a clear indication of how these strikes are likely to affect the school. Due to the fact that a significant proportion of our teaching staff are members of the NEU, there will not be enough staff on site to ensure the safety of all 1300 students and so the school will have to close. The closure will be for the majority of students with the exception of Year 11 and a small number of Year 10 Food Technology students.
Tuesday 28th February
To mitigate the impact of this strike day on students in Year 11, the following plans are being put in place.
The strike day falls within our core mock exam week, exams have been scheduled throughout the week in English, Maths, Science and MFL. All Year 11 students should attend school on the strike day in full uniform. They will complete a mock paper in English and Science. Students will need to arrive in school for 8:45 am and make their way to the Sports Hall where they will sit their English exam. This exam will be followed by a slightly earlier lunch between 11:15 to 12:00 in the canteen. Students will not be allowed off site for lunch on that day. Following lunch, all students will then sit their science mock exam in the Sports Hall. Once this exam is completed, students will be sent home at approximately 1:30pm.
School will be closed to all other year groups except for a small number of Year 10 Food Technology students to complete a practical assessment. Mrs Clarke (Head of Technology) will be in touch with the parents of these students separately with the arrangements.
Wednesday 15th March and Thursday 16th March
On Wednesday 15th March and Thursday 16th March, school is likely to close to all students but we are making provisional plans to bring Year 11 into school to complete further assessments in Maths, History, Geography, French and Spanish.
Year 11 students who have signed up for the An Inspector Calls theatre visit in the afternoon of the 16th March will still be able to attend this trip (letters have been sent out separately).
On both 15th and 16th March, the school library will be open so that any Year 11 student, when not involved in exams, can come into school between 9:00am and 1:30pm to carry out private study.
We will also accommodate other Year 10 Food Technology groups in school on these days to complete practical assessments. Mrs Clarke (Head of Technology) will contact the parents of these students separately.
All of these arrangements are provisional and are assuming that the strikes will go ahead. Should anything change in the meantime, you will be contacted. I’d like to thank-you for your patience and understanding during this time.
Yours sincerely,
Mr P Davies
Headteacher