Academy orders issued to three schools in East Midlands ‘unlawfully’, say education unions

Schools in Chesterfield, Staveley and Worksop are affected. Unions representing staff in nineteen schools across the Catholic Diocese of Hallam have written to the Secretary of State for Education to begin legal action over letters they received informing them that they would be forced to join Multi-Academy Trusts. The letters, issued by the Regional Schools […]

West Gate School

Leicester academy plans scrapped

UNISON has welcomed a decision by the Department for Education to drop plans to turn Leicester’s West Gate School into an academy. West Gate has 180 pupils, aged 4 to 19, with a range of learning needs. Pupils have moderate to severe learning difficulties, autism spectrum conditions, multiple learning difficulties and highly complex needs. In November 2018 […]

Staffing, safety and vulnerable children must be priority for schools’ return

Responding to plans published today (Thursday) by the government for the full return of schools from September, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “Everyone wants all children to return to the classroom as soon as possible. There are still issues, though, around staffing and safety. “Test and trace must get a whole lot better for social […]

UNISON’s Campaign for Safety Reps in Schools Gets off to Flying Start

UNISON’s campaign for union safety representatives in schools has got off to a great start.  School support staff members and local UNISON contacts have begun actively finding out about the union safety rep role.  Within a couple of hours of the launch a teaching assistant in Nottingham, had come forward as a safety rep. Louisa Wass-Griffiths, UNISON […]