NEU Industrial Action – Wednesday 15th & Thursday 16th March – School Closure
I had hoped that the remaining two planned days of industrial action by the National Education Union (NEU) could be averted if negotiations between the union and Department for Education (DfE) had been fruitful. Unfortunately, this has not transpired. Therefore, regrettably, I am writing to inform you that there will be two further days of industrial action next week.
As I have previously said, at FCC, a very large proportion of our teachers are members of the NEU, (currently over 80%). We remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all our students, and feel that we would be unable to provide this with the very limited staff we will have available. I am sorry to have to inform you that Felpham Community College will be closed on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th March for the majority of students, and we are asking you not to send your child into school on these two days.
On the days of the strike, students may wish to work at home on their set homework tasks, or alternatively work on education platforms such as The Oak National Academy or BBC Bitesize.
As we can only accommodate a limited number of students on the days of the strike, we will prioritise students with exams this summer:
- Year 11 – we will be running an additional mock exam and supervised revision sessions for Y11, and they should attend school from 8:30am until 2:00pm on both days. (The canteen will be open at lunchtime with a limited selection available.)
- Year 12 & 13 – the Sixth Form Hub will be open for private study.
- Children of critical workers and our most vulnerable children – if you wish to book a place, please complete the form here.
I am sorry that you will have to make alternative arrangements for your child next Wednesday and Thursday, and that they will experience disruption to their education. It is still possible that the industrial action will be called off, and if this were to happen, we will contact parents to confirm that the school will be open.
If you have any questions, please contact the school and I will do my best to respond.
Mark Anstiss
Headteacher