2024/2025 Term Dates
Teacher Strike Action
As you may be aware, the membership of the National Education Union (NEU) has voted to take industrial action in schools across the country. This will take the form of strike action with the next strike affecting this area due to take place on Wednesday 1st March. I am writing to give you as much notice as possible about the likely impact this will have on our school.
The industrial action is a result of a national dispute between the NEU and the government and is not specific to our school nor to United Learning. The overwhelming majority of schools locally and nationally will be impacted but each school will have different arrangements for pupils due to the number of members of its staff who are likely to strike.
We have been working closely with colleagues here in order to plan for the strikes so that we can minimise any disruption to our pupils’ education. Our current understanding is that a significant number of colleagues will be taking industrial action and we are thus planning for this accordingly.
Following a full risk assessment, we are disappointed to inform you that, due to the number of NEU members likely to join the industrial action, we will not be in a position to open the school to all pupils on the strike days. This change in position has been forced upon us by an increased number of staff who have made us aware that they will be striking on the day.
Our view, at present, is that we will be able to keep the school open on the proposed strike days for the majority of students except Year 8 and 10. Therefore please keep year 8 and 10 students at home on 1stMarch.
School will be closing at 3pm for all secondary students on Wednesday 1st March. Students using any of the bus services will remain on site until 3.50pm.
Arrangements For Year 8 and 10 Students
Students in Year 8 and 10 will receive an invitation to a Microsoft Teams assembly which will start at 8:40am on Wednesday 1st March .
From 9:00am onwards students in Year 8 and 10 should follow their normal school timetable, accessing resources provided by our Remote Learning Plans which can be accessed via the homepage of our website or, for ease of reference, located here: https://kba.uk/secondary/information/remote-learning-plans
Year 8 and 10 students in receipt of Free School Meals can call into the academy via Main Reception between 12.30pm and 1.00pm to collect a packed lunch.
I apologise for any potential inconvenience this causes you but we are doing everything we can to minimise the number of pupils who are impacted on by the industrial action.
It is unlikely that the industrial action will be called off, but if this were to happen, I will write to you to confirm that the school will be fully open.
If you have any questions or concerns about the alternative arrangements outlined above, please do contact us via enquiries@kba.uk
If the industrial action continues beyond the dates already announced, I will write to you again with an update on our plans for dealing with this.
Thank you for your continued support of the school and your child’s education
