The NEU has said that further strike dates are planned in the coming weeks if an agreement can’t be reached
A North London special school is set to close today (Wednesday, December 3)due to “insufficient staffing” as National Education Union (NEU) members are striking over “critical issues” impacting staff. The local authority has said the move will “cause disruption for some of the most vulnerable children” but the union said the strikes are “a necessary step” to ensure staff can provide the best education.
Staff at Woodlands School in Edgware – a special needs primary school catering for children with severe and complex learning difficulties – announced strike action today following “a protracted dispute” with the leadership team. The move has forced the local authority school, run by Harrow Council, to close due to staff shortages.
The dispute centres on issues affecting “staff well-being and quality of student education”, according to the NEU. These include “unsustainable workload, inadequate cover arrangements, and the practice of pulling staff away from the children they are assigned to support”. Harrow Council said it is “disappointed” that the strikes will go ahead despite efforts to reach an agreement.
Harrow NEU Secretary, Alex Davies, claims union representatives have “engaged in months of tireless negotiations” to resolve matters but claims the school “has been unable to make us a suitable offer”.
The NEU added: “Staff deeply regret the disruption this action will cause to students and their families. The NEU stresses that the strikes are a necessary step to ensure staff can ultimately provide the best education for the children.”
The local authority told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that it has been involved in regular discussions with the union, school, and HR specialist advisors to “find a resolution and avoid disruption”. Unfortunately an agreement could not be reached, leaving the council “disappointed that the strike action will go ahead”.
A spokesperson for Harrow Council said: “We support the school on their decision to close for the day due to insufficient staffing. This will cause disruption for some of our most vulnerable children in Harrow with complex needs.
“This is not a decision the school has taken lightly, and our shared priority remains to minimise the impact of children’s education and wellbeing. We value the dedicated and hard work of our staff who support some of the borough’s most vulnerable children, and we will continue to work tirelessly with all parties to reach a fair and sustainable resolution.”
The NEU has said that further strike dates are planned in the coming weeks “until an acceptable resolution is reached”. Mr Davies added: “We want the school to settle the dispute as soon as possible.”
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