The Argus: Poor turnout for Worthing High academy strike

Argus, Ben James, 31st October 2012

A campaign against a school conversion to an academy could be grinding to a halt after union officials accused teachers of not supporting them.

There has been strong opposition to Worthing High School’s academy proposal since it was announced earlier this year.

The spring and summer saw a wave of protests including a mass teacher walkout in July which forced the school to close its doors for the day.

A second strike was planned for last Tuesday by two of the school’s three teachers’ unions. A limited number of teachers were involved in the action which meant the school remained open.

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Been there, done that...now off with stress!

Moving testimony, emailed to WHAAG, from a South coast teacher currently employed by an academy:

Hi,

I just thought I would share my personal experience of working in an academy with you. 

 

I am a teacher who in 2010 moved to a failing school that had just become an academy.  At first my experiences were positive.  I was one of the new staff members willing to make the necessary changes toimprove the school.  We had exciting plans for a huge rebuild and a restructuring programme put in place to ensure improvement.  I moved there as a promotion and my job title was SENCO or, as the academy named me 'Access Coordinator'.  I saw the vision for the future, all new and exciting!  HOW WRONG I WAS!!!

 

Two years on and the school, sorry academy, could not be in a worse state!  We have lost countless good/outstanding teachers who cannot cope with the pressure of an increasing workload and lack of support from the leadership team.  Some members of staff have literally only lasted a week or so! We have a 'director' for everything who are on big bucks although I cannot work out what each of their specific roles are,except to criticize other staff members.  The moral of staff has reached rock bottom which of course has affected the students.  We have always had a large number of students whose behaviour has been challenging, but as teachers we have had very little support from the leadership team as to how to deal with these behaviour issues.   Our behaviour policy is flimsy and we have had cases where students have punched a member of staff or spat at them and only receiving a one day or two day exclusion.  We did employ a police liaison officer but she left when the school failed to listen to her suggestions. 


As for me, my job has changed beyond all recognition!  In the 'restructuring' I was demoted and had to take instructions off someone who had no SEN experience or expertise (I had been SENCO for 5 years, am a dyslexia specialist and am close to finishing my Masters in SEN).  I have been forced to teach main stream subjects I am not trained to do, and given only days to learn entire schemes of work before having to teach it to an unknown class. When I was teaching some SEN students (many of whom had EBD issues) and brought up some very serious health and safety issues, I was seen as the problem and the role taken away from me, rather than sorting out my concerns.  I have had various members of staff tell me I am being bullied and threatened.  The NUT is fighting my case, but if I quit I get nothing, no entitlements at all as I chose to leave,  I have been on and off work with stress since January 2012, have been very seriously ill in hospital with extremely high blood pressure, have had panic attacks and headaches, non of which I suffered from before joining the Academy.  


So, I am completely sympathetic to your cause.  I would not recommend ANY school becoming an academy, as they seem to think they can do what they want when they want to whom they want.  I believe thegovernment are simply trying to privatise  the education system so they can wash their hands of it.  From personal experience I would urge you to stick to your guns on this, you have my full support and good luck for the future!

Kind regards, 
An Academy teacher desperate to get out! 

Sussex teachers strike against academies

Socialist Worker, 24th October, Lee Billingham


Teachers in the NUT and NASUWT unions at Worthing High School in West Sussex mounted a large and lively picket this morning, Wednesday.
They were striking for the second time against their school's plans to become an academy.
Pickets were joined by other local trade unionists, and local post workers refused to cross their picket line.
Their action, together with a big and sustained parents' and community campaign against the move, has already forced the school to move the proposed date of conversion to December.

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Well done to the teachers on strike today

This was an upbeat and peaceful protest by NUT and NASUWT teachers today.
We salute you - and the supporters who joined them on the picket.

Read today's coverage of strike in Herald
Many of the comments posted by Worthing readers under this online article are very encouraging.

Next public meeting Monday 22nd October

Next public meeting on the eve of the teachers' strike:
Monday 22nd October, 7.30 pm, in Lounge room, Broadwater Parish Centre, Broadwater Road BN14 8HT (adjacent to Northbrook College and Carnegie Road). Car park at centre.

Come along to share concerns and thoughts, find out the latest news on the campaign, stike action by teachers and our recent discussions with the Acting Headteacher.

Hope to see you there! All welcome.

More strikes at Worthing High in protest at academy plans

Argus, Ben James, 17th October 2012

Teachers at a Worthing school which is preparing to become an academy are to walk out again.

Worthing High is set to convert to an academy in December, despite strong opposition.

Teachers at the school walked out over the plans in July and are now set to strike again on Tuesday and on November 13.

The acting headteacher has responded by saying she is organising an “alternative curriculum” in a bid to keep the school open.

Marianne Dark, from the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said: “This action is in response to the school’s continued plans to convert despite the concerns of our members.

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Calls to axe Worthing High academy plans

Argus, Ben James, Thursday 11th October 2012

Education unions are calling on a school to scrap plans to become an academy as the resignation of senior staff has left it without a “democratic mandate”.

Worthing High is in the final stages of the move, which has encountered strong opposition from parents and teachers.

In May the school’s governing body voted to apply to the Department for Education for academy status.

But since then a number of high-profile members of staff and governors have resigned – including the former head Alison Beer.

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Words of warning from a Sussex teacher

Thank you to the teacher working in a Sussex academy, who sent us their comments and insight by email:

" I work in a Sussex academy. I have seen at first hand the process involved in becoming an academy. Apart from the expense to the local community of giving away an asset to an unaccountable body, the principle itself cannot be right. Money is being made in times of austerity by organisations who provide no better a service than could be provided by the LEAs. The difference is that we pay with our income tax rather than council tax and lose any say in how our education system is run.

Although the advocates of academies claim otherwise, there can be no improvement in the quality simply because of the transfer to the private sector. My own school was threatened with having to stay in a dangerous building for several years unless we succumbed to academy status. The usual arguments were advanced then; they remain as hypocritical now as they were six years ago. "

 

Flagship academy 'cheated in GCSEs' claim pupils

A flagship academy praised by David Cameron has been accused of systematic cheating in GCSE examinations.

Graeme Paton, Education Editor, The Telegraph, 5th October 2012

Kingsdale Foundation School in South London is alleged to changed pupils’ work after tests and fabricated coursework in an attempt to drive up grades.

One former pupil even claimed that teachers entered the exam hall during a GCSE, telling students to change their answers.

According to Channel 4 News, pupils from the school have made numerous complaints to exam boards over the school’s conduct.

But it was claimed that none of the teenagers making claims have ever been interviewed and – 15 months after the original allegations came to light – a formal report into the affair has still not been published.

Today, Dame Tessa Jowell, the local MP and former Olympics Minister, said she was "enormously concerned" over the latest disclosure and claimed it reflected wider concerns about the way examinations are regulated.

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