School strike action over workload concerns suspended with negotiations ongoing

Teachers from The Cooper School in Bicester went on strike last Wednesday (January 8) and were set to strike for five more days, including today (January 14), over workload concerns.

The school was partially closed during the strike action last week and was only open for key groups, such as year 11 and year 13 students.

This followed a restructuring process implemented by the Acer Trust, which oversees the school, to “redress the balance between income and expenditure at the school”.

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However, the Acer Trust has confirmed that members of the National Education Union (NEU) voted to suspend the future strike dates “with a view to further negotiations” and parents were informed of this decision on Friday (January 10).

The trust said its priority is to work with unions to reach a “full resolution of the issues raised” and that it is “pleased that these valuable conversations can continue without impacting upon the education and well-being of our students”.

Speaking on behalf of Acer Trust, chief executive Nathan Thomas said: “We are very pleased that it has been possible to suspend strike action whilst we work with the unions to ensure that staff are heard and supported during this difficult time for the School.

“Over the coming weeks we will be working hard to reach a full resolution to the issues raised, including seeing the initial impact of the action plans already in place.”

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