NUT members at Haggerston School in Hackney are to strike next week on Thursday 9th July against proposed redundancies.

This follows an outstanding ballot result with a 100% turnout! 37 ballot papers issued, 37 returned. 36 in favour of discontinuous strike action, 1 against.

Eleven teachers at the school - including Heads of Year, Heads of Faculty, SEN and EAL teachers - have been told they could be made redundant.

Under a new management structure 13 posts have been deleted. Only 7 new posts have been created. Overall next year there will be 12 less teaching posts in the school. Teachers at the school have been told they are not allowed to discuss the plan with parents or with pupils.

The governors are attempting to justify their decision by telling us that there are less pupils applying to come to the school next year. However, the school is going through a period of change to a mixed school and no one should have been surprised that numbers at the school would go down over the next few years until the new school is established. The governors say there is not enough money in the school’s budget and they must make cuts. But in June last year there was £1.3 million left over in the school budget. We want to know where this money has gone.

There is no financial justification for cutting jobs. Clearly the school budget has not been properly managed.

Please email messages of support to Kate Ford.