Yahoo News Students 'dance around buckets' as 'water leaks' into LIPA sixth form
Students at the sixth form college of a performing arts school are "dancing around buckets" as water leaks through the roof, it has been claimed.
A union said there are leaks, mouldy carpets and walls at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts sixth form college which are "putting staff and students at risk." The National Education Union (NEU) has now announced plans to move to an indicative ballot for potential industrial action at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) 6th Form College, as well as the associated Primary and High School.
The union said the schools have been under scrutiny because of "ineffective and inefficient" management practices that have resulted in "excessive workloads, unnecessary work-related stress" as well as "serious health and safety failures that could potentially harm staff and pupils."
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The indicative ballot will take place this week and could result in strike action in October if the concerns aren't addressed. The NEU said its representatives have repeatedly tried to engage with the employer regarding the health and safety issues at the institutions.
The LIPA Multi-academy Trust said it was working to address the concerns raised. Bora Oktas, the union's regional officer, detailed some of the issues and their impacts on staff and pupils.
He said: "There are serious health and safety failures at both the primary and secondary levels, as well as the sixth form college of LIPA. The imminent harm to staff and pupils cannot be overstated. Our workplace reps and branch officers have made several attempts to engage with the employer to no avail.”
He added: “Issues are massive: The lack of a caretaker/security raises safety concerns. The leaking roof forces students to dance around buckets, and mouldy carpets and walls pose risks to both staff and pupils, potentially leading to respiratory illnesses.
"Staff are diverted from their roles to supervise contractors without DBS checks, which should be the caretaker’s responsibility. As a result, over the last few months, health and safety concerns and poor IT services have led to school closures, early student dismissals, and extended deadlines, impacting education and increasing safeguarding concerns. Despite our repeated attempts to collaborate, the employer has failed to listen.”
Karen Copsey, joint-assistant branch secretary of Liverpool NEU added: “LIPA has refused to recognise trade unions. This means we cannot sit with the employer to resolve the issues on behalf of our members. The NEU calls on LIPA’s leadership to reconsider their position and engage in constructive discussions with trade unions before anyone is harmed.”
The sixth form is on the same campus as LIPA, the performing arts institute founded by Sir Paul McCartney.
LIPA primary and high school opened in September 2014 in Upper Duke Street and comes under the umbrella of the original performing arts academy. The sixth form then opened in 2016.
An inspection of LIPA primary and high school was carried out on March 12 and 13 this year. The visit resulted in the school being downgraded from 'good' to 'requires improvement.'
A spokesperson for the LIPA Multi-academy Trust said: "We are already working to address the concerns raised and are confident that any outstanding issues will be promptly resolved."
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