NUT members are striking to oppose academisation of their school. they do not take this strike action for more pay or better conditions, but to protect their students’ education and for parents to have their say and vote. 70 NUT Teachers at Dormers Wells High School say no to academisation because it is;
- Bad for Grades
- Bad for Special Educational needs
- Bad for Staff
- Bad for the Community
The school refuses to hold a debate and vote for staff and parents about the future of your school, why?!
What Can I Do?
1) Speak or write to the Headteacher Ms Roisin Walsh
2) Speak or write to your local Councillor
3) Sign the petition here
4) Contact us at secretary@ealing.nut.org.uk
Please download Leaflet for Parents or scroll down for the text.
Teachers do not believe the school when they say that they are only exploring the possibility. The school have applied and been given permission to convert from the DfE. Further, this has been ‘explored’ by the school since the Autumn Term. Teachers have been forced to take strike action as the Governing Body is not listening to our concerns, such as:
Members will have taken 6 days of strike action this week. Spirits are high and their determination to see this through is resolute.
Support Your NUT Members
1. Leave a mesaage of support below.
2. Please share, reweet & post
Below is the wording in the “Leaflet for Parents”, if you only wish to read it.
Dear Parents/Carers,
Your children’s education is the most important thing to us; we do not take this strike action for more pay or better conditions, but to protect your children’s education. We feel we have been forced to take strike action as the Governing Body is not listening to our concerns, such as:
- Academies do not achieve better grades for your children, in fact most children’s grades go down1.
- If the High School does convert and is unable to help Dormers Wells Junior, then both schools will be at risk of takeover from an academy chain2.
- Academies are facing bigger cuts in funding than Ealing Local Authority schools3.
- Many of your children’s teachers, who have been committed to your children’s education at DWHS for many years, will leave. DWHS will find it very hard to replace your experienced and dedicated teachers4.
- Academies have a bad record for not supporting students with Special Needs and many of these students are driven out of academies5.
- If you are unhappy with a decision regarding your child’s education, in an academy you have no one to appeal to, apart from the Secretary of State for Education. Currently, you have democratic rights allowing you to appeal, up to and including Ealing Local Authority.
- Academisation is semi-privatisation of your child’s education, just like this Government is doing to the NHS, with disastrous results.
1. The Education Select Committee report 2016 found that Of MATs studied, 66% were “below average” in their performance and over half, 51.1%, were “significantly below average”. This underperformance was the case for those with high levels of disadvantaged pupils (52% significantly below average) or low levels (48% significantly below average) – Henry Stewart (21 January 2017) ‘DfE reveals underperformance of secondary academy trusts’, Local Schools Network.
2. Analysis of DfE data released under a Freedom of Information request in July 2015 showed that a school rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted was almost four times more likely to remain ‘inadequate’ at its next inspection if it became a sponsored academy than if it remained a maintained school. Schools Week recently reported on figures which show that a total of 235 academies were handed to new trusts in the past two calendar years, up from just 26 in 2014.
3. www.schoolscut.org shows for example that Drayton Manor High is facing cuts of -£683 per pupil compared to the Ealing average of -£472
4.There are so many facts & figures, please go to https://www.teachers.org.uk/edufacts/teacher-recruitment-and-retention to view them all
5. In June 2016 the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) found that, “there is no compelling evidence of academy status being associated with an improvement in the performance of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM)” in either secondary or primary schools. The Sutton trust latest report says “are achieving results that are not improving and may be harming the prospects of their disadvantaged students”. (Professors Merryn Hutchings, Becky Francis and Philip Kirby (July 2016), Chain Effects. p. 6.)
Good luck tomorrow DWHS. Fight it all the way, it’s another step closer to the erosion of our rights and an unmanageable workload. Don’t let SLT fool you with false promises.
Best of luck Dormers Wells. We’re behind you. If you win we all win. Stick to your guns.
‘Exploring the possibility’ reminds me of those other old chestnuts- ‘consultation’ and ‘nothing will change!’ ?
Solidarity.
Karen Parkin
Wigan NUT
Standing strong with you here at Wiseman! Don’t give up the good fight and we won’t let them sleep walk us into academisation.
Best of luck to you Dormers Wells. You were my old school and I don’t want to see you academised. You are doing the right thing and we all support you. In solidarity. Stay strong.
All the best Dormers Wells!
Stay strong, united and calm. You are doing the right thing!
Believe in yourself.
Our thoughts and hearts with you!
Your pupils deserve the best!
Say “No” to academy.
Good luck Dormers. Know this. Going on strike is a brave act. You will feel trepidation at first, but your cause is just and when you stand together that solidarity will give you strength.
Many thanks to everyone who has sent messages of support. Please see below.
Trish Fay Solidarity from the Durham TA Lions!
Dormers Wells Infants show their support for Dormers Wells High on strike against Academisation @cyclingkev @NUTonline @resistunite
Michelle Moreno liked your Tweet. Michelle Moreno retweeted your Tweet. michael davern retweeted your Tweet. Sarah Bee liked your Tweet. Amberjack
liked your Tweet. Ray Ellis liked your Tweet. Unite the Resistance
retweeted your Tweet. Mark L Thomas retweeted your Tweet. Ealing SWP
retweeted your Tweet. Svitlana Charbib retweeted & liked your Tweet. RichmondUThames NUT liked & retweeted your Tweet
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Comments from NUT FB to my Post (NEU) National Education Union (NUT Section) It is a closed group
Billy Hurren Brilliant!
Annette Lidster Good to see these principled people in action!
Penny Foskett Great! Congratulations to all involved. So important to see a fight back against bullying and academisation.
Fleur Patten Well done! Keep it up. I know how much background work goes into organising a strike. This is powerful.
Oh if we could go back to LEA control, we wouldn’t be losing teaching jobs now.
Jason Dickinson There is an election coming up…?
Judith Elderkin Congratulations to all striking teachers involved here. You never change anything sitting on your hands. I recall my first experience of strike action was to ensure that teachers got a lunch break. I collected money for the strike levy. Until then teachers did compulsory lunch duty and the washing up!
Sally Kincaid Fantastic stuff! Keep on keeping’ on x
Jason Dickinson Well done, everyone involved! Solidarity.
Sara Tomlinson Well done Ealing
Sana Abi Younes and Jim Fagan shared your post.
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Dear colleagues
We support your strike action. Stay united and stay strong in your fight to stop the academisation of your school.
NUT Teachers of Clifton Primary School Celestina School NUT rep
Horsenden Primary School’s members send their support and solidarity to our colleagues at Dormer’s Wells High School – we admire your courage, integrity and dedication to defending our children, our schools and our profession. Hannah School NUT Rep
From: Beth Tabern Sending a message of solidarity to all the NUT members striking tomorrow. With you all the way. Together we are stronger! From St Mark’s primary rep.
Dear Stefan,
Kirklees NUT hope very much that you are successful in your action today.
The very best to you all . Saleh Rahman
Hi,
We might not be there with you in person, but we’re certainly there with you in spirit!
Best wishes with your strike. Regards Andy Davis Hartlepool NUT.
Hi Stefan
I hope you are well.
I hope the strike action on Thursday has the desired outcome. Never an easy decision but having worked in an academy for 8 years I know staff are right to be concerned.
Best wishes for Thursday Mark Needham
To Every Union Member at Dormers Wells High School
We are sending you a message of solidarity from Stockport NUT, as we support you in defending our locally accountable and democratic schools. When your victory comes, it is because of the courage and determination of every member to stand up and strike to oppose the change to academy status.
Yours is a campaign we have to win. Dawn Taylor
Hi Stefan
Greetings and solidarity from Hounslow Committee. We are about to start our meeting. On the agenda is an item on possible action in a Hounslow School where we have balloted for action but hope it will not be needed as we have been assured that there will now be no compulsory redundancies. Watch this space!!
Marilyn Bater Secretary Hounslow Teachers Association (NUT)
Hello Stefan,
I am just writing to you on behalf of Bristol NUT to give you our best wishes of success in your action with the Dormer Wells High School and Infant School.
Kind regards,
William Brown Bristol NUT Division Secretary
I’m all for a union stand and strike action when necessary but a paid strike (as is the case with DWHS) is something I’ve never come across before and I just can’t help but question some people’s motive to strike when they are still being paid…..aren’t we playing into the hands of all those against unions by being paid while on strike?
Solidarity from Peter Symonds College NUT, Winchester.
Solidarity from NUT Shropshire and Shrewsbury Sixth Form NUT.
More Messages of support
Solidarity with members at both schools from Sheffield NUT
Solidarity. No to the privatisation of education. Ben Morris, NUT rep, Little Heath school, Redbridge.
Solidarity from connaught school for girls NUT group
Solidarity in your action against academisation. Des Barrow, NUT rep, Clapton Girls Academy (pc)
Solidarity from NUT members in North Somerset. Resistance is key and the time is right
Solidarity from Reay Primary school
Solidarity from Lambeth NUT
Solidarity greetings from Wakefield, the academies program is unravelling all over the place.
Solidarity from Gravesham and Kent!
Solidarity from Kent and from Canterbury and District!
Please pass on our solidarity and support from Kirklees NUT
Solidarity to both schools. It’s a tough battle, but it is so worth fighting.
Drayton Green’s and Dormers Well’s is everyone’s fight
Solidarity from NUT Shropshire and Shrewsbury Sixth Form NUT.
Solidarity from Peter Symonds College NUT, Winchester.
Hi Stefan
Could you please pass on my solidarity to our members taking strike action at Dormer Wells High School tomorrow and Thursday.
I know members don’t take strike action lightly and I send my support and best wishes to them.
In solidarity
Louise Regan
NUT National President
Hi Stefan,
Please take this email as a message of solidarity from the Newham Teachers’ Association to your members at Dormer Wells High School with their justified industrial action on 14th & 15th June 2017 to oppose a change of their employer.
Regards
Peter Newham NUT
Yes
Respect to you all for making a stand on this.
Hi Stefan,
I understand your members at Dormers Wells are on strike tomorrow and Thursday. Please pass on Brent’s solidarity and best wishes. Thanks,
Lesley Brent NUT
Hello Stephan,
On behalf of East Riding NUT, I would like to pass on a message of solidarity and support to all those taking action at Dormer Wells High School.
The principled and strong action by staff at Dormer Wells is a beacon to us all.
In solidarity,
Damian Walenta
Divisional Secretary, East Riding of Yorkshire NUT
Stefan,
Offering you solidarity from the South Gloucestershire NUT. We fought a campaign against compulsory redundancies at Abbeywood Community School, which included a 100% indicative ballot in favour of strike action. Following solutions and re-deployment, all teacher redundancies now resolved. Best wishes to you and your colleagues.
Frank Clarke
Good luck to everyone! You don’t deserve to be an academy as some of teachers invest their heart into the school. DWHS for the win!
Good luck DWHS, we were perfect as a school, all the kids got the time and investment that they needed. #DWHSTOWIN
ALL THE BEST DORMERS WELLS!
STAY STRONG .
SAY “NO” TO ACADEMY.
Stay strong and keep up the Fight.
Love and support from Acton High NUT
Stay strong Dormers Wells – we are all supporting you here at Cardinal Wiseman and hoping for the right result. GO RAMPAL!
Katie Milosevic.
Keep going Dormers teachers – we ex-students support you!
I’m no fan of academisation and loath all Tory policies but I would be very sad to see the Headteacher, Roisin Walsh, leave the school. She’s done a great job at the school and I would not want her to depart at this crucial impasse. Any new Headteacher apppinted at this point could see further destabilising of the school and damage all the students’ futures.
More Messages of Support:
I hope you receive the outcome you are looking for!!
Good for you for taking action!
-Dirasha Naidoo
Keep on fighting and good luck.
-Ludovic Maurivard
Hi Stefan,
Please take this email as a message of solidarity to your members at Dormers Wells High with their industrial action on Thursday 13 July 2017 to oppose a change of employer at their school.
Regards
Peter
Hi Stefan,
Please take this email as a message of solidarity to your members at Dormers Wells High with their industrial action on Thursday 13 July 2017 to oppose a change of employer at their school.
Regards
Peter
Hi Stefan,
Please pass on our support for members at Dormers Wells High – we wish you all every success.
In solidarity,
Toby Mallinson and all at Sheffield NUT
You’re doing the right thing! Keep up the good work, stay strong and don’t let the buggers get you down!
-Leopold Gerrard (North Ealing Primary NUT Rep)
Dear Dormers Wells and Drayton strikers,
Good luck! We’re all behind you in the struggle to protect our public services.
-Austin McHale (NUT Rep Ellen Wilkinson High School)
Congratulations to Dormers Wells and Drayton Green for protecting local management of schools. Keep on keeping on.
-Nick Grant
Sending support for your cause. You’re in my thoughts.
-Erik Houlihan-Jong (NUT Rep Villiers High School)
First they came for Dormers Wells High & Drayton Green Primary, and I did speak out.. So proud of the staff and parents at this school for fighting against something that will damage the quality of education and life of the people in that community. we stand with you.
-Latifa Al-Zubaydi (NUT Rep Brentside High)
Good luck!! Unity in numbers!
-Florrie Gibbons (NUT Rep Southfield Primary)
Sending solidarity greetings to Dormers Wells and Drayton Green. Good luck with your collective action. We’re all with you.
– Beth Tabern (Rep) and all the staff at St Marks Primary
Solidarity from Parmjeet Sehmi (Headteacher Khalsa)
Keep up the fight and all the best from Elthorne Park
-Pete Heffernan
I fully support Drayton Green and Dormers Wells!
– Mirela
Dear NUT,
I just want to share my support with the teachers striking at Dormers Wells as a parent of pupils at the school. I agree with their reasons for the strike and I am against our school becoming academies.
I hope the teachers stay strong. Best of luck
-Hussein Askar
Keep up the pressure, we also wouldn’t stand for the nonsense you are dealing with – publicise it all online!!
-Glen Bowman (North Tyneside NUT)
Dear Stefan – and all education staff involved in the action at Drayton Green Primary.
Lancashire Division and Lancaster, Morecambe & District Association send you all their very best wishes in your fight for fair and reasonable treatment.
Wishing you positive outcomes and ways forward
-Helen Willey
Wishing all on strike the very best.
Remember you are doing what is right for the children, their families and our education system.
-Carole Millard
Good luck today
Fight hard against becoming an Academy they’re bad for education
-Michael McCombe
Solidarity from Peter Smith
Solidarity from Barnsley NUT
Solidarity from Sheffield NUT
Dear Stefan, Kensington & Chelsea NUT wish to send a message of support and solidarity to all staff taking action at Drayton Green Primary School. We hope the issues are resolved in your favour soon.
Sending support and solidarity to all at Dormer Wells and Drayton Green schools for their strike action this week.
Your fight is our fight.
-Debs Gwynn on behalf of Halton NUT