Scores of teachers are on strike at several schools across Waltham Forest this week as the National Education Union alleges jobs are at risk, reports Charlene Rodrigues
Scores of teachers, joined by parents and their children, stood outside Henry Maynard Primary School in Shernhall Street, Walthamstow, on Monday (18th May), chanting, “No ifs, no buts, no education cuts”.
With the backing of the National Education Union (NEU), Henry Maynard teachers are striking for at least three weeks to protest alleged “redundancies and budget cuts” that they say could threaten up to 20 jobs at the school. Three other schools, South Grove, South Chingford and Belmont Park have also joined in the strike action.
NEU members say that these staffing cuts will severely impact the quality of education and support for students.
For nearly ten parents the Echo spoke to, the next few weeks are a mix of “disruption, uncertainty, trepidation, coupled with joy” as they juggle childcare, homeschooling and work. Overwhelmingly, they are undeterred in their support for the teachers.
Victoria Tackley, a mother of three with children aged seven to 13, has seen over the last decade how budget cuts have put a severe strain on schools’ teaching, especially for children who require Special Educational Needs (SEN), which is extra support for learning.
At Henry Maynard Primary School, support is available within a mainstream, inclusive model as it does not operate as a specialist unit.
For Victoria’s eldest daughter, who has now moved on to secondary school, the “inclusive, compassionate, and caring” learning environment was “life-changing”.
“My eldest is dyslexic and doing incredibly well now, and I think that was the basis of her primary education which was fantastic. She was never made to feel that she couldn’t do things, and they really inspired confidence in her and other children which is wonderful,” Victoria told the Echo.
Children with similar needs, she fears, might be denied that support if the cuts go ahead.
In the coming weeks, on top of her work as a full-time nurse, Victoria and her husband – also a nurse – will be juggling shifts, mealtimes, and coordinating childminding and family support. She however recognises that many parents, single parents and those without family nearby or abroad, do not have the same level of support.
Henry Maynard Primary School declined to comment.
Andrew Child, a parent of one child in the upper school, is divided on the strike action.
He said: ”I’m appalled by how the school leadership are handling this and how little information they are providing. Parents are being treated a little bit like children, even though we are legitimate stakeholders in this consultation process.”
He adds that a lot of parents are “freaking out”, saying: “I’m getting lockdown triggers. I’m being reminded about how awful it was during that time trying to juggle jobs and homeschooling.”
Jess Crawford, a parent of two, including one six-year-old at the school, says it is the quality of the teaching that drew her to Henry Maynard Primary School.
“The school has been really brilliant in terms of trying to make provision for the most vulnerable families and will be open for a small number of children who have been identified in need of additional support and free school meals,” Crawford adds.
The reasons for the funding shortage are ultimately connected to falling pupil numbers and the government formula used to allocate money.
A spokesperson for Waltham Forest Council said: “School funding is based on the number of children enrolled. There has been a significant decline in pupil numbers across London – not just in Waltham Forest.
“Henry Maynard Primary School is currently operating with a shortfall of approximately 137 students. This creates a budget deficit of around £500,000 from government grants. This funding model is set by the central government, and not the council.
“Henry Maynard Primary School – like any public sector body – has a duty to balance its books and ensure it can continue to operate efficiently. The council does not anticipate a need for compulsory redundancies, and we are therefore concerned about strike action that is currently disrupting students’ learning at a key time for their development.”
Due to outdated funding boundaries, teachers in Waltham Forest are paid up to £6,000 less than those in neighbouring Hackney. The borough also receives £300 less in core spending per head.
Walthamstow MP Setlla Creasy is well aware of the “structural injustice” in teachers’ pay, having fought it alongside the council for 16 years. She has consistently lobbied for Inner London classification, which she says “would unlock significantly higher funding and wages”.
“Decisions about how to resolve the pay dispute and the use of council budgets will rest with the new Waltham Forest Council leadership team and the incoming cabinet member for Education, who I understand will be appointed at the full council meeting on Thursday (21st May),” Creasy adds.
The news of the restructuring plans come a few weeks after Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson wrote a letter to the school praising it for its work with disadvantaged pupils.
In the letter, seen by the Echo, Phillipson says: “This success reflects the dedication of your staff and hard work of your pupils.”
Crawford, a former community governor at Henry Maynard, says it’s a “profound contradiction” that a school that has been “celebrated at the very top of government cannot secure the funding it needs to retain the staff who earned that recognition in the first place”.
Despite the disruption, Crawford and her husband, who both work full time, remain positive.
For Crawford, it is comforting to see how families and friends have come together to take turns and look after each other’s children. In the interim, football and arts clubs have opened up at subsidised fees.
“The outpouring of support for the school from the school community has been really incredible,” she adds.
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