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Strike Action –  Wednesday 1st February 2023

To download a copy of this letter, click here. 

  • January 26, 2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you are probably aware, the National Education Union (NEU) recently held a national ballot for industrial action. The NEU is in dispute with the Secretary of State and teaching members have voted for strike action because of a failure to make available additional and sufficient funds to allow employers to pay a fully funded increase in teachers’ pay at a rate greater than inflation.

The union has subsequently given notice of four days of strikes, the first of which will take place on Wednesday 1st February 2023. The subsequent days are as follows: Tuesday 28 February 2023; Wednesday 15 March 2023 and Thursday 16 March 2023.

I write to inform you that because of this industrial action, the school will have to close on 1st February 2023 for health and safety reasons. A significant proportion of our teaching staff are members of the NEU which means that there will not be enough staff on site to ensure the safety of all 1300 students. Assuming that the later strike days go ahead, I give you advance warning that it is the likelihood that we will also have to close on these days as well.

On the 1st February, school will only be open to a small number of select students between 9:00am and 1:30pm. Parents of these students will be contacted separately about the arrangements for this day. For Year 11 students, we will be able to open and supervise the school library so that any student wishing to come into school between 9:00am and 1:30pm to carry out private study will be able to do so. If your child is normally in receipt of Free School Meals, we can still provide your child with a packed lunch which they can come into school to collect at 1pm on the strike day. If you would like us to arrange this lunch, please contact Mr Whalley by Monday 30th January using the email address whalleyj@flhs.wigan.sch.uk.

A note on the strike action

The teaching profession, along with countless other professionals and workers across the public sector have seen an erosion of their pay in real terms over several years. A key demand of this strike action is not just to pursue an above inflation pay-rise for teachers but to also ensure that, if granted, this is a fully funded pay-rise. Any pay rise awarded, if not fully funded will have to come out of existing school budgets which are already stretched due to rising costs and because of the impact of real term cuts over many years. The most recent, below inflation pay rise given to teachers was largely unfunded and the slight increases in funding we have received are insufficient to meet all of our rising costs.

We fully understand that this strike is inconvenient and disruptive but please do not email the school to complain about this action or with suggestions on how we might better manage the situation. This dispute is with the government and not the school. NEU members are exercising their right to withdraw their labour, and with skeleton staffing, we cannot safely open the school. The impact of the strike will also vary from school-to-school. Schools with fewer NEU members than ourselves may be able to avoid full closure. If you do feel strongly about this matter, you need to address your concerns to your local MP. You might also wish to contact your local MP and ask them to champion greater funding for all state schools. As a school, we are incredibly lucky to be having a new build at a significant cost; however, the funding that has been provided for this is completely separate to the funding which is used to pay our day-to-day bills and staff our curriculum and pastoral system.

As explained, this funding has been stretched for a number of years. Any further demands that are placed on an already squeezed budget will have a direct impact in how we provide for your child’s education.

Yours sincerely,

Mr P Davies
Headteacher

How Yondr Works

Frequently Asked Questions

We want our students to be engaged in their learning. A child at high school should not really have a reason to contact a parent during the day; however, if there is a genuine reason e.g. they have forgotten their packed lunch, a phone call can be made home from the school office. If a parent needs to contact their child in an emergency, they should contact the school office. If you need to contact your child during the school day, contact the main office on 01942 883796.

In case of a school emergency, we direct our students to safety first, following our school emergency procedures.

 

Students are in possession of their phone - in their Yondr pouch - for the entire school day. We will advise students to store the pouch safely in their school bag or blazer pockets.

If a student damages their Pouch or is caught on their phone, we will confiscate the phone and issue a sanction which is likely to be a suspension.

Note: Damage consists of any signs that the physical integrity of the pouch has been compromised, whether intentional or unintentional, as determined by the school or Yondr staff.

Damaged pouches will be charged to parents at a cost of £20.

They will be searched and wanded with a handheld scanner by a member of SLT. If they are found to have their phone on their person they will be expected to place it in their pouch. Refusal will be met with suspension.

If a student forgets their Pouch, their phone will be confiscated.

As per our previous mobile phone policy;

  • Confiscated phones will be taken to reception where the phone will be secured in the school safe.
  • Parents will be alerted to the phone confiscation via the school office.

Parents will have the option to collect the phone at the end of the day. If parents do not collect the phone, the phone will remain in school until the end of the week or until the student has their pouch.

In Yondr’s experience, this almost never happens. All students funnel past the unlocking stations at the exits, they want their phones back and don’t forget to unlock their pouches. If they do arrive home with a phone in a pouch, they can either come back to school to unlock it, or have a phone free evening!

The unlocking process is quick and takes under a second per student. 

As a privilege, Year 11 will be able to unlock their phones as they go off site at lunchtime; however, they will be expected to put their phones back into their pouches when they return to school for period 5.

Yes. There is an adapted version of the pouch which uses a Velcro fastener instead of a magnetic lock. This means the student still follows the policy, but the adapted pouch gives them easy access to their phone when required. If the student abuses this, they will face a sanction. We are already aware of these students.

Your Office 365 account username is your school network account username followed by @flhs.wigan.sch.uk 
The password is the same password that you use in school to access computers.