Blue Coat staff preparing to walk out on strike next week

Staff at The Blue Coat School in Liverpool are preparing for their first days of strike action next week.

Problems have been mounting at the prestigious school, based in Wavertree, culminating in the sudden departure of under-pressure headteacher Scilla Yates earlier this month.

Issues at the school have also led to staff members voting for what could be six days of strike action in the coming weeks. The first two of those days are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday week, May 14 and 16.

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On Thursday, the famous school's trustees issued a letter to parents ahead of the planned first walk-outs. They said they are continuing to work with arbitration service ACAS to try and find a resolution with the National Education Union (NEU) in the hope of pausing any strikes ahead of next week.

The letter states: "We have put contingency plans in place to prepare for the event of strike action going ahead. We have reviewed our risk assessment in light of the number of NEU staff members and impact on school provision."

The letter confirms that the school site will be closed to all students on the planned strike days, except those who have an exam as well as vulnerable students.

School access will continue to be offered to selected vulnerable students. The school said parents will be contacted by the Student Support Team this week to discuss arrangements.

All Blue Coat students will be asked to engage in "independent study at home" during the strike days. The letter states: "If a student has a lesson with a teacher who is not involved in the industrial action, they will receive information regarding provision via Teams."

The school added that students will receive detailed information on the learning provision and exam arrangements this week.

As well as next Tuesday and Thursday, the NEU is also planning subsequent strike action at the school on May 21 and 23 and on June 12 and 13.

The school letter states: "It is important to emphasise that the current situation is changing rapidly, while Trustees are working tirelessly to agree a resolution with the NEU in order to pause strike action. We will keep you updated as the negotiations unfold.

"We understand that strike action will cause disruption and inconvenience to our students and their families, and we are very grateful for your understanding."

The NEU says the strike is being held over staff concerns including an "unmanageable workload and unsatisfactory arrangements for the allocation of work," as well as "Ineffective school mechanisms for negotiation and consultation."

Safety concerns have also been raised regarding the state of the building and equipment as well as issues with "management cultures."

The union said that members voted with a turnout of 91%, registering an 'overwhelming' 82% of the votes going in favour of industrial action.

In a statement, the trustees said: "This is their legal right, and their decision to do this is something that as a Board of Trustees we respect and recognise.

“Before Easter, we proactively approached ACAS, which is the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, to ask for their support in helping us reach a resolution with the NEU. This work is ongoing and we believe that progress is being made.

“Alongside this work, contingency plans are also underway if strike action does happen. We will provide further information to our community nearer the time, and the focus is on ensuring there is as little disruption as possible for those students facing their examinations this summer.

“We wholly appreciate the current situation that the school is in will potentially be adding uncertainty and pressure for our families at a time when there is already a huge amount for them to think about and consider. We are doing all that we can to work collaboratively with our staff to achieve the very best outcomes for our students.”

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