Staff at Walsall special school plan further strikes over plans to join academy trust
Staff at a Walsall secondary school are planning further strike action against plans for it to become part of an academy trust.
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Workers from Elmwood School in Rushall who are part of the National Education Union (NEU) walked out for three days this week beginning on Tuesday (March 11) in response to proposals for the school to be taken over by Matrix Academy Trust.
The community school, which teaches youngers with social, emotional and mental health needs, is currently run by Walsall Council.
Staff are now planning to strike between Monday to Thursday next week, for two days on the week commencing March 24 and from Monday to Friday on the weeks commencing March 31 and April 7.
The NEU has called on the school to stop the academisation plans, maintain its own dedicated board of governors and "fully and transparently" consult with parents, staff and the local community over the plans.
The union claims Elmwood will suffer a loss of around £700 per pupil per year if was to be taken over by the academy and see a two per cent drop in "core funding".
An NEU spokeswoman said: "The takeover will see the end of Elmwood having its own dedicated governing body with parent and staff governors accountable to the school community and key decisions will be made by Matrix instead of the school.
"Elmwood currently has a dedicated and ring-fenced school budget but once taken over it could lose valuable special needs funding to other schools in Matrix."
Speaking to the Express & Star at the picket line outside Elmwood on Tuesday (March 11), NEU school representative Dan Whittaker said: "We care about our pupils, and we know that this is going to be a massive change for our pupils if this was to go through.
"Parents say their children have several mothers and fathers here, because we care about them."
Matrix Academy Trust already runs a number of schools in Walsall including Barr Beacon School and Bloxwich Academy.
Councillor Pardeep Kaur, Portfolio Holder for Education and Skills at Walsall Council, said: "We do not want children to miss out on school due to industrial action. We are working closely with the National Education Union and the school to find a solution to the dispute, and we are doing all we can to ensure that learning is not disrupted."
