Teachers at Cornwall School Advance Towards Strike Ballot

Employees at a prominent secondary school in Cornwall have moved closer to potential strike action, having approved a vote for a formal ballot. A spokesperson for the National Education Union (NEU) reported that educators at Newquay Tretherras School cast 98% of their votes in support of initiating a formal strike ballot. The union stated that its staff members had “lost patience” with the Cornwall Education Learning Trust (CELT), alleging that the Trust was “not respecting many aspects of the school teachers pay and conditions document”. In response, the Trust indicated it was “working to resolve any issues”. The NEU commented: “The last thing that National Education Union members want to do is to be striking, but they are determined to create a safe, happy, creative and enriching environment for all the children at Newquay Tretherras.” It further suggested: “Perhaps a New Year’s resolution for CELT might be to listen to, respect and care for the pupils and teachers in the multi academy trust?” A spokesperson representing CELT responded by stating: “Striking is the right of every teacher who is part of a union and is a personal choice which we respect as an academy and Trust.” The spokesperson added: “However, this indicative vote – rather than a formal strike ballot – was undertaken prior to several meetings we have held with staff and leadership teams across the Trust.” The spokesperson also mentioned their commitment to “ensuring staff feel supported, motivated and rewarded” and confirmed they had been in discussions with staff to “address concerns raised”. The spokesperson concluded: “We will continue this constructive dialogue into the New Year to enable us to resolve any issues and ensure we continue meeting the best possible outcomes for our schools, employees and pupils”. During an inspection by Ofsted in January, Newquay Tretherras recorded an enrollment of 1,729 pupils, with 221 attending its sixth form.