the way back

This week, we entered our fourth week of industrial action at Prendergast schools. Understandably, there is a lot of tension in the air. My NEU colleagues and I have been getting a significant amount of online and verbal abuse over our strike action. I therefore wrote the following statement to try to ensure people are more respectful of each other: Dear parents/carers, We all appreciate that this is a period of frustration and confusion for both you and your children. You will doubtless understand that this is an extremely stressful and upsetting time for all of the teachers who have chosen to strike over the MAT conversion issue. The hardest thing for us during this period has been not teaching your children, but the Governing Body’s proposal is anathema to our educational philosophy. We will continue to oppose it. Obviously we cannot, and do not expect, everyone to share our position. That said we have really appreciated support from so many of you. We would like to stress how impor...

I am writing this blog directly to parents of students in the Leathersellers Federation in response to questions and criticisms of Prendergast NEU members’ decision to take extensive strike action against the proposal to convert the Federation into a Multi Academy Trust. I will let Prendergast members speak for themselves and attach their statement as an addendum and would encourage you to speak to them directly. I am writing because I have been referenced repeatedly in relation to the campaign and think it is important I try to state a s clearly as possible my view on this situation. The first thing to say is we fully understand and acknowledge that the action is highly disruptive. Unfortunately, that is the nature of strikes and, for those of us working in education, we get that disruption to children’s lives causes stress and struggle. We don’t opt for strike action lightly and we always exhaust other avenues before balloting members.   Some have argued that it is not our action...

 

Below is a letter to LSFed parents on the upcoming industrial action from NEU members.  After talks with members of the Governing Body at ACAS, we asked for permission to send you this letter outlining our position on Parentmail. We also requested to send it to all staff via Prendergast email. These requests have been ignored by the leadership despite being reiterated.  As a result we need you to share this letter widely.  We would like to reach all LSFed parents and the wider community.  NEU members from across the borough will be joined by LSFed parents and students tomorrow to March against the academisation of LSFed Prendergast schools. Please join us to support our campaign to preserve our borough's community of schools. Thank you so much for the support you have shown us so far: we cannot express our gratitude enough. Prendergast NEU members _____________________________________ Dear Parents/Carers, National Education Union members in the ...

I am writing as a parent with a child at one of the Prendergast schools to support the upcoming strikes by teachers and school workers (National Education Union members) to stop the drive to academise. I will be joining the demonstration this Saturday (11am, 22 April, Loampit Vale, next to Prendergast Vale) and joining the picket lines to support the teachers and other workers on strike against academisation - as will many other parents. I encourage all parents to do likewise. Numerous arguments why academisation is a terrible idea have been set out very clearly many times – for instance here https://stopacademiesinlewisham.org/prendergast and here  https://alexgwinnett.blogspot.com/2023/04/letter-to-lewisham-directorate-for.html . No wonder the academisation proposal is opposed by the great majority of workers at the schools, their unions, the vast majority of parents who have been able to express an opinion (given the refusal so far to hold a ballot), by the council and now ...

A good friend has shared this with me: The following passed at Ladywell ward Labour 12 votes to 1 against and 1 absention. Will now go to Lewisham Deptford constituency Labour. STOP ACADEMISATION AT PRENDERGAST Notes : 1. That on 20 February management at the Prendergast federation of schools announced they want to convert it into a Multi-Academy Trust. Ludicrously they declared only a six-week consultation. 2. That a consultation meeting called by the governors themselves at the St Mary’s Centre voted something like 70-3 against academisation. 3. That Lewisham National Education Union (NEU) is campaigning to stop the academisation. Its members at the schools have voted overwhelmingly to strike against it, with multiple strike days coming up – including 26 April and 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 May (in addition to national strikes over pay). GMB members (support staff) are also balloting. 4. There have now also been student protests against academisation. 5. That in 2014-15 academisation at Pren...

This first week back at school  has been very stressful and stupidly busy as a teacher and union rep.  My union's position and proposed industrial action over our federatiojn becoming a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) has been presented in a rather critical and one-sided fashion. I am extraordinarly grateful not just to be sent the following extremely supportive letter  signed by over 30 Prendergast Parents regarding how the consultation (James Kerr and I wrote about in previous posts) has been conducted , but also to be given the permission to share it on my blog.  Dear [Lewisham Directorate for Children and Young People], I am writing to you on behalf of a number of parents to raise our profound concern about the impartiality of the communication with pupils on the proposed academisation of LSFed Prendergast Schools. It has become clear from the previously confidential governor minutes (released on 18th March after a parent’s FOI request), that the LSFed governors ha...