Do schools close in a strike or do they get supply teachers in?

[pinkyponkyplink]

As the title.
Do they get supply teachers in?

Sorry, I can't figure out how to quote just part of a message! Re. this though:

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I think we have to talk to TAs and other support staff, really try to get them on side and explain to them what they can and can't be asked to do on strike days. If they are NEU especially, hopefully they can stand up and refuse to cover.
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I'm a TA in the NEU and we can be compelled to work, sadly. It's the old loophole of us being allowed to cover classes 'under the direction of a teacher'. So, in theory, the HT could l say "I want you to teach X to class Y" and we'd have to. Our HT is in support of the teachers, so hopefully she won't ask us, but I'm not sure we can say no if we are asked.

Everything has pretty much been covered in all the comments above. Schools will not use supply teachers and they will close or as mentioned operate whereby they are all closely monitored - school hall on skeleton staff and this is done usually to support parents with childcare arrangements.

If cover is not normally part of your role, you can refuse, and the union will back you on this.

If your school is picketed, you can also refuse to cross the picket.

If cover is a normal part of your role, that is different unfortunately.

Unfortunately, despite what many PPs think, some HTs will open at all costs. Mine has already said that she will cover striking teachers and that the 'GUIDANCE' is law. She has no intention of supporting our industrial action. I feel despondent, undermined and devalued because she will basically put any warm body in front of my class.

How does she intend to cover them?

But also, how does she think she'll retain staff? I mean, she may not care, but my previous head was like this, and a LOT of staff left the school each year...

Well, only about half the teachers are NEU and there is a cover supervisor in every year group. Not all of the NEU teachers are even planning to strike so that doesn't help.

@OuiOuiMonAmi you can't be compelled to work if you are on strike though?

Several of the schools in my area have already stated that they will open for all children. They are covering, as per the guidance, with support staff and non-striking teachers. The expectations of parents in our area are high and heads aren't willing to risk the backlash that would come from a vocal minority.

I think a lot fewer schools will be closed than you think, especially with the push from the DfE and the propaganda they have already published. But that isn't the point. Even if the buildings remain open and the children are babysat, they aren't being properly taught and it just highlights the lack of care about actual education on behalf of the DfE and the government. That's the message.

My Head also stressed they could ask if we were going to strike but that we didn't have to say, so instead the question my Head asked us was if we were certainly intending NOT to strike. No idea if anyone replies though!

How are they getting around the fact that non striking teachers and support staff are being told by their unions that they must not do anything outside their normal day that constitutes covering for those who are striking.

In primaries, many support staff cover as and when needed so it is part of their regular work. In addition, many support staff aren't being told that by their unions as they aren't in teaching-based unions. Even for those that are, it isn't must not: it's their choice.

For some, they are being asked by their boss to work as cover for the class they are based in and they are saying yes: it's really as simple as that. Some, I'm sure, feel like they don't have a choice but others don't support the strike. Remember, the NASUWT, the NAHT and the support staff branch of the NEU all failed to meet the necessary number of votes for a valid ballot. In the worst case scenario, that could mean that less than half of all of those people actually support the strike.

Hmm... I'm NASUWT and we won't do anything outside our regular jobs. I hope people are supportive of the strike even if they don't actually strike but we'll see I suppose.

For those whose schools might close just certain classes.... is this now difficult due to GDPR?

Trade union membership is one of the special characteristics covered. And if they shouldn't be able to gather that information for a valid reason but also should be kept confidential, doesn't that mean that they can no longer broadcast it to parents that they are closing teacher X's class, but that teacher Y's is still in without declaring what union to all what teacher X is in?

I would imagine that they could argue that it is, in fact, you who has shared that information by choosing to strike. They are not broadcasting it but merely responding to your decision. In the same way that for schools that are fully open, all children (and so parents) will know exactly who was in and who wasn't.

I don’t think it can be avoided? If some people are striking and some aren’t, then parents will work it out. It’s particularly difficult is teachers decide not to declare if they will strike until the day. It’s their right, but hard to manage for school and parents.

As a Cover Supervisor, I have been given the attached advice by my union Unison. It directly contradicts the government's guidance for HLTAs and Cover Supervisors. I'm just hoping that as I've forwarded this to my Head, he won't ask me to cover a striking teacher as that would put me in a difficult position.

If I wasn't already a member of the NEU, I'd be joining pronto. Support staff and admin staff can join too, although I appreciate the poorer wages make it difficult to strike and lose a days pay.

I think as teachers we really need to talk to support staff about the reasons for the school strike, and why they should support it, and at least not take on additional duties on that day.

It is also worth reminding support staff in an LA school there is a legal duty that a class is under the supervision of a qualified teacher.

BTW, support staff can refuse to cross any picket lines at a school on the day, even if their union hadn't balloted them.

I do think Unison etc should do more to advise their staff.

Obviously support staff are free to make their own choice, but I do think if the head asks them will they do xyz on a strike day, it would be good if they didn't say "yes, yes, yes" immediately. It's reasonable, I think, to ask them to say they will check with their own union first.

But it's worth reminding heads that if the school is picketed, any of the workforce can choose not to cross the picket on the day, so they need to consider the safety of all students, and whether they are 100% sure they will be able to keep them safe on the day.

If your school has a picket, you can choose not to cross the picket line on the day.

Depending on how strongly you feel, and how likely your school is to have a picket, you could suggest to your head that you would not be comfortable crossing a picket to cover for striking staff.

If your head is putting pressure on you, also do speak to your union rep, they will want to know!

This is a very interesting point- to be honest, I don't think heads will be able to do this for 1st Feb regardless- they must be aware lots of people are switching unions and people can join strikes at the last minute. They also need to take into account e.g. staff sickness on the day.

I think any heads doing partial opening will have contingency plans in place.

I'm support staff though, and we aren't striking.

"It is also worth reminding support staff in an LA school there is a legal duty that a class is under the supervision of a qualified teacher."

This is the loophole that I mentioned above. Technically, if my HT asks me to cover and tells me what to teach, then that is 'under supervision of a qualified teacher'. If I am asked, I will say that I don't feel comfortable with it and that I need to consult my union first - but I'm fairly sure that I could be compelled to cover under that loophole.

If your school has a picket line, you can't be compelled to cross the picket line, though.

If cover is part of your normal role, you can unfortunately now be forced to cover. If cover is not part of your role e.g. you're a 1:1 LSA and you've never covered a full class, you can refuse to do so on strike days.

But do check with your union rep.

I do get what you are saying, and FWIW, I have huge sympathy with cover supervisors and TAs who may be forced to go against their principles to be forced into covering striking staff.

I hope your head understands what a difficult position this would put you in, and doesn't ask.

Without wishing to sound like a dick, the whole point is to make it difficult to manage for schools. If there's no impact on schools, then the strike will achieve little.

Of course, for heads who are onside or just sensible, the decision is relatively simple- to close the school.

I think any head banking on being able to do a partial closure is on risky ground because:

1. Staff could change unions up to the day of a strike and join the strike.

2. If the school is picketed, any member of staff can refuse to cross the picket.

3. Staff illness- it's not like there will be an excess of supply teachers available on the day!

4. Staff having to take time off to look after their own young children.

So even staff who 100% declare they are not going to strike and the head trusts them, what happens if they are too unwell to work on the day of the strike?

I know that partial openings of this kind have been done in the past, but we've still had a lot of staff absence especially in the lead up to Christmas with covid/flu/strep A etc. Or this just where I work? It's not as bad as last winter, but feels worse than pre 2020 still.