More strikes at Sheppey school after last-minute talks fail

A two-day walkout at a secondary school on the Isle of Sheppey will go ahead today after last-minute talks to avoid strike action were unsuccessful.

Staff at the Oasis Academy are striking on Tuesday and Wednesday over concerns at poor pupil behaviour.

Some claim the school are not doing enough to tackle threats and violence from pupils, including verbal and physical assaults, and breaking into classrooms.

The National Education Union (NEU) say their members voted by a "significant margin" to continue with the planned strikes, saying insufficient progress had been made in discussions with the school.

The NEU's Senior Regional Officer, Nick Childs, said members were not assured "that it is safe for them to be in school and that behaviour management will improve rapidly enough."

"There remains a real issue of lack of trust in Oasis management amongst members and this is making reaching an agreement difficult”.

In a letter to parents, the Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey's Executive Principal Andy Booth confirmed the school would be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday - and online learning would be provided for students.

Mr Booth said it was "incredibly frustrating to learn" the strikes would continue, apologising for this being confirmed "at short notice."

He said the school remains committed to resolving the dispute, and minimising its impact on students.

An official statement from Oasis Academy said:

“Students at Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey have been through so much disruption over the last few years, so it is disappointing that their learning will be impacted by further local industrial action. Students don’t want these strikes, parents don’t want these strikes, and the majority of staff don’t want these strikes.

We have entered negotiations openly, honestly and with a commitment to finding solutions so that further strikes could be avoided, and staff concerns addressed. Union representatives have presented us with a list of concerns, all of which we have met. National and regional NEU leaders today acknowledged our commitment and recommended a pause on strikes.

We remain committed to working together with our staff and the union to find alternative solutions and we will continue to do everything that we can to minimise the impact on students and focus on delivering a vibrant and safe school community.”