Teachers' strike: many Plymouth schools closed or disrupted today

A number of Plymouth's schools will be closed (scroll down for an alphabetical list) on Thursday 17 October due to industrial action by the two largest teaching unions, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and NASUWT, over pay, pensions and conditions.

The NUT wil be holding a rally in Home Park from 11am.

The strike action relates to a dispute with the Government over increasing workloads, plans to bring in performance-related pay and changes to pensions. Any teachers taking part in the strike action will be deducted a day's pay in accordance with Local Authority rules for teachers employed within community and voluntary controlled schools who participate in the strike action.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said: “Strike action is a last resort, teachers have been left with no choice but to demonstrate their anger and frustration in the face of their genuine concerns being dismissed and trivialised.

“Teachers of course deeply regret any disruption to children and families. Such action would have been unnecessary had the Secretary of State been prepared to engage in genuine discussions.

“Teachers are asking nothing more of the Secretary of State than to recognise that their pay and conditions of service are directly linked to the provision of high quality education and that their concerns cannot simply be ignored.”

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “Strike action is never a step that teachers take lightly and we are very aware and concerned about the inconvenience it causes parents. Unfortunately we are faced with a Coalition Government that is refusing to listen to the reasonable demands of the profession. Changes to pay, pensions and workload will make teaching a far less attractive profession, which is not in the long-term interests of teachers and children.

"The Education Secretary should do as his counterparts in Wales have done and enter into meaningful dialogue with the NUT and NASUWT. No teacher takes strike action lightly but the intransigence of this Education Sectary has left teachers with no choice. We cannot stand by and watch our profession be systematically attacked and undermined. There needs to be a change in the Government’s attitude to teachers and education.”

The unions claim that the Government has failed to make any attempt to enter into meaningful talks on the issues and so have elected to take industrial action.

The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove has been very vocal in his opposition to the unions, publically declaring them the ‘enemies of promise’. He also said: "Children lose a day of learning while parents are forced to pay for expensive childcare. I have a simple message for the leaders of miltant teaching unions: please, please, please don't put your ideology before our children's interests."

The list of school closures (and partial closures) to date across the city as confirmed by Plymouth City Council is as follows. Please keep checking for updates or visit Plymouth City Council's schools closure page on their website or follow them on Twitter @plymouthcc.

If in doubt, parents are asked to contact their school directly. The following schools are closed completely unless stated otherwise:

Schools partially closed
Chaddlewood Primary School will be closed to F(1), Yr1(1), Yr2(1), Yr5(1) and Yr6(1)
Coombe Dean School will be closed to years Yr8, Yr9 and Yr10
Devonport High School for Girls will be closed to Yr7, Yr8, Yr9 Yr10 and Yr11
Drake Primary School will be closed to F, Yr3, Yr5
Hooe Primary Academy will be closed to 2W, 3C, 4Q
Keyham Barton Catholic Primary School will be closed to Yr2, Yr4 and Yr6
Knowle Primary School will be closed to Yr4(2), Yr5(1), Yr2(1)
Manadon Vale Primary School Closed to Yr4(R)
Mayflower Community Academy will be closed, but the Support Centre will remain open
Mill Ford Community Special School - Yr11(R) affected
Mount Wise Primary School will be open for rising 3s, Yr4 and Yr6
Notre Dame Roman Catholic School will be closed to Yr7, Yr8 and Yr9
Oakwood Primary School will be closed to R(1), Yr1(1), Yr1/2(1), Yr5(1) and Yr5/6(1)
Plymouth High School for Girls will be closed to Yr9 and Yr10
Plympton St Maurice Primary - Yr3 and Yr4 affected
Plymstock School will closed to Yr8, Yr9 and Yr10
Ridgeway School will closed to Yr8, Yr9 and Yr10
Riverside - Yr0, Yr1, Yr2 and pm Nursery affected
Shakespeare Primary School will be partially closed
St Edward's Church of England Primary School - Yr1 open
Stoke Damerel Community College will be partially closed
Thornbury Primary School will be closed to R, Y1(2), Y2(1), Y3(1) and Y5(1)
Tor Bridge High will be closed to Yr7, Yr8 and Yr9
Weston Mill Community Primary School will be closed to KS2
Widey Court Primary School will be closed to Yr1(2), Yr2(1), Yr3(2), Yr4(2)and Yr5(2)
Woodford Primary School - 3 classes closed

Schools closed
Beechwood Primary (open to Nursery)
Brook Green School
College Road Primary School
Goosewell Primary School
High Street Primary School
Lipson Vale Primary School
Longcause Community Special School
Marlborough Primary School
Montpelier Primary School
Mount Street Primary School
Mount Tamar School
Plymbridge Children’s Centre
Plym Bridge Nursery School
Pomphlett Primary School
Prince Rock Primary School
Salisbury Road Primary School
Sir John Hunt Community College (years 11, 12 and 13 invited for exam study)
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
St Boniface's Roman Catholic College
St Peter's Church of England Primary School
St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary School
Stoke Damerel Community College
Stoke Damerel Primary School
Victoria Road Primary
Whitleigh Community Primary School
Woodlands School

How is the strike affecting you? Have you had trouble finding alternative childcare or have you decided to embrace the opportunity and take a day's holiday to spend with the children?

Are you a teacher and on strike or have you decided not to take part in strike action? Let us know your thoughts. Whether you are a parent, a teacher or a child, We would love to hear from you on the subject.

Twitter: @ThePlymDaily #strike

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