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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if schools will close on 1st Feb?

354 replies

cosied · 17/01/2023 14:36

National teachers strike on 1st Feb so does that mean the schools are not open that day?

Has anyone received any communication from their schools relating to what impact the strikes may have?

OP posts:
Jumbojade · 17/01/2023 22:49

MrsHamlet · 17/01/2023 19:55

Because the point of a strike is disruption.

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And the main people suffering are the pupil’s and their parents, who won’t know if their children will be in school or not. I know the point of a strike is disruption, but surely fair to let parents know if their child will be in school or not that day. After all many parents work in the emergency services, nhs etc., so plans do need to be made in advance about whether they will be able to work or not if their children are going to be affected with the strikes.

templesit · 17/01/2023 22:50

EatYourVegetables · 17/01/2023 21:18

I’m considering not sending DCs in on the 1st of Feb. I support the strikes.

Same.

beAsensible1 · 17/01/2023 22:51

Coffeellama · 17/01/2023 20:04

I have several teachers in my family, who are choosing not to strike. I do care about teachers and support the strike, but I care about my children and so pupil safety on strike days is important to me. You can spew whatever crap you like about me not caring about my children, I’m entitled to my opinion and you are entitled to yours.

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still time to take the day off work and look after them!

Coffeellama · 17/01/2023 22:53

beAsensible1 · 17/01/2023 22:51

still time to take the day off work and look after them!

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Can’t do that until I no if the school is affected or not. I assume if the school is unaffected I’m not allowed to keep my kids off for no reason. I can’t afford to take unpaid leave, especially if it’s not actually necessary. Many parents are in the same boat.

Zonder · 17/01/2023 22:53

Well said, @Squidrings and @ChocolatemilkBertie

I was wondering where my 9 % went and why despite being on the UPS I don't get as much as was quoted.

Whoknowswhatanymore · 17/01/2023 22:53

DfE guidance says schools are allowed to ask staff if they intend to strike. Staff do not have to say but the majority will. 4 teachers out of 14 in our school will be striking. That is manageable and school should be able to remain open to all pupils. We will use agency to cover where possible or merge classes/ use support staff/ use local sports people who usually come in etc. My personal thoughts on this though means that’s it’s not making the impact a strike should make - that’s just our school though and other schools will be very different.
Just to note based on previous comments also, that some teachers did receive a 9% pay rise but it was totally dependant on what point of the main scale pay range they were on at the time…this then decreased as the pay range went up, so SP2 for instance got 9%, SP3 8%, SP4 7%, SP5 5.5% ETC, (this is not actual, just an example of how it worked).
School budgets are also shocking at the moment and schools are not getting anything back from the government to help deal with these pay increases/ energy crisis and most schools are now “in the red” in terms of their budget. Thus, this in turn results in job losses in the long term when schools are crying out for additional staff to help with SEN support. SEN funding reform is LONG OVERDUE!
The education system, much like the NHS, is on its knees currently and unless significant money is invested in these areas, the future is very uncertain.

Paperdolly · 17/01/2023 22:58

Lulu1919 · 17/01/2023 20:01

Some TAs are in that union too...

Support staff didn’t get enough response to carry out a strike. Makes you wonder why people join a Union if they don’t respond in any way.

Wakemeuuuup · 17/01/2023 23:01

My kids are in yr 11 and 13. I would much rather they stay at home on strike days and study then go in and be covered by support staff or teachers who don't know the subject. They would get much more done at home

Logicalreasoning · 17/01/2023 23:02

No communication as of yet... I didn’t expect it, Dd school is terrible at communicating, they’ve got better the last year but still need a lot of work?

Fourdayweekplease · 17/01/2023 23:05

Again. How can they communicate information when they don't know what's happening themselves? Yet another example of unrealistic parental expectations.🙄

Oxterguff · 17/01/2023 23:05

Bobblemymind · 17/01/2023 22:35

@Swissmountains please live stream your “lesson” I think we could all do with some light relief, watching your strike breaking nonsense hit reality.

😂 👏 👏👏

SeanMean · 17/01/2023 23:08

@Logicalreasoning
how on earth could they respond yet? Utterly ridiculous expectations from you.

georgarina · 17/01/2023 23:08

PuttingDownRoots · 17/01/2023 19:52

Have the Government suggested the Army covers for teachers yet?

That's what they're genuinely doing in some parts of the US

hennylovespens · 17/01/2023 23:17

"Support staff didn’t get enough response to carry out a strike. Makes you wonder why people join a Union if they don’t respond in any way."

@Paperdolly I thought there was an assumption that the postal strike had effected the ballots?

noblegiraffe · 17/01/2023 23:19

that some teachers did receive a 9% pay rise but it was totally dependant on what point of the main scale pay range they were on at the time

It's also important to note that it wasn't a 9% pay rise for new teachers so much as the government continuing to fail to meet its manifesto promise to increase NQT pay to £30k. The 9% pay rise only lifted it to £28k.

And because they are inflating the salary for newbies, but not by the same rate for experienced teachers (only 5%), that means that there will be less incentive to stay in teaching as the pay scale will be much flatter. This is a problem, because there's an issue with retention as well as recruitment!

Lovinmyblanket · 17/01/2023 23:23

I think you might be surprised how many schools will close. When the smaller union in Scotland was on strike recently it still closed the schools. You have to have a certain number of staff there for things to run safely

hennylovespens · 17/01/2023 23:24

I am fully behind our striking teachers.

I am self employed within a school and there is no way i'd cross the picket line. If teachers are out I'll make a sign with my kids and cheer them on though. We are beyond crisis point. This isn't just about wages, but severe lack resources and curriculum & system not fit for purpose and a system breaking point.

I'm shocked at how many people don't understand how strikes work on here.

jocktamsonsbairn · 17/01/2023 23:37

smilingthroughgrittedteeth · 17/01/2023 20:04

I absolutely support the teachers striking but as a parent of a child with SEND who will struggle with a last minute change id like to think if his teacher is striking she will inform the head so i can just keep him off rather than turn up and discover they are in the hall or in another class.

Keep him off on strike days. If school does remain open it is unlikely to be normal routine.

Whoknowswhatanymore · 17/01/2023 23:38

noblegiraffe · 17/01/2023 23:19

that some teachers did receive a 9% pay rise but it was totally dependant on what point of the main scale pay range they were on at the time

It's also important to note that it wasn't a 9% pay rise for new teachers so much as the government continuing to fail to meet its manifesto promise to increase NQT pay to £30k. The 9% pay rise only lifted it to £28k.

And because they are inflating the salary for newbies, but not by the same rate for experienced teachers (only 5%), that means that there will be less incentive to stay in teaching as the pay scale will be much flatter. This is a problem, because there's an issue with retention as well as recruitment!

No one is disputing this.

jocktamsonsbairn · 17/01/2023 23:41

Loafbeginsat60 · 17/01/2023 20:06

Ours are closed in Scotland on 31st Jan for EIS strikes then two days in Feb

EIS says it's 28th Feb and 1st of March. After the 16 rolling days. Where did you get those dates from as we've not been told?

LucyLastik · 17/01/2023 23:42

Swissmountains · 17/01/2023 21:21

I have just emailed our head and offered to run a Greek mythology day, I have enhanced dbs etc and can help out.

Support staff can easily set story writing or poetry. It can be done.

I can’t believe this is planned so soon after the pandemic.Some children are already so behind, many with significant mental health problems.
Time to step up and fill the void if you can. Our poor children deserve so much more.

Literally what teachers are fighting for 🙄

YerAWizardHarry · 17/01/2023 23:43

@jocktamsonsbairn its local authority dependent isn’t it? My sons school (Aberdeenshire) is 30th, Highlands are 31st, Aberdeen 1st Feb

noblegiraffe · 17/01/2023 23:45

I was explaining why some teachers got a 9% rise (or rather, increasing the starting salary), it wasn’t anything to do with the current cost of living or the government being nice, it was an overdue attempt to address the serious issue of teacher recruitment that the govt promised in their 2019 manifesto before all these pay disputes kicked off. They’d have given new teachers jack shit if it wasn’t for that manifesto promise (that they still haven’t met).

And that attempt to address recruitment has now been lost in inflation anyway.

jocktamsonsbairn · 17/01/2023 23:46

@YerAWizardHarry
I thought it was LA dependent as we've been striking today. Probs just the way it was worded and I'm tired!

Noname99 · 17/01/2023 23:48

AbbyGal · 17/01/2023 20:50

I'm a TA and as part of my job I teach small intervention groups and cover my class if the teacher is off sick or on a course.

My Head has decided that therefore 'teaching' is part of my job description and as such, I can legally take the class to cover my teacher on a strike day.

I will be taking advice from my union about this.

You are legally allowed to say you will not cover any duties of staff who are on strike and you must not face any consequences directly or indirectly for deciding this