Academy teachers and staff have walked out out for the first of six days of strike action over “bullying” and “micro-management”.
Members of both the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT are picketing the entrance to the Littlehampton Academy today (April 17) ahead of further walkouts in the coming weeks.
The unions decided on the strike action after “months” of complaints over “excessive micro-management” and “bullying”.
Speaking to The Argus, NUT representative Dave Thomas said that teachers were unable to do their jobs due to intensive classroom inspections.
He said: “We have been hearing for many weeks that staff have been subjected to excessive classroom inspections.
“It is impossible for them to do their job with someone constantly at the back of the room with a clipboard.”
The unions suggest that three inspections per academic year is the maximum. However, Mr Thomas said that teachers at the academy were being inspected on a monthly if not weekly basis.
The academy is part of the Woodard group, which also runs the Sir Robert Woodard Academy in Lancing.
No other option
Mr Thomas added: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly. No teacher wants to go on strike but they feel that this is their only option.”
Following today’s action two more days of walkouts are planned for next week, followed by a further three the week after.
Mr Thomas said: “We hope that it doesn’t come to that and we can get round the table with the management.”
In a letter to parents, principal Steve Jewell confirmed that the school would remain open.
He said: “Other teachers will be at work and available to teach their classes as usual.
“We will not know exactly which teachers are taking action until the morning of the strike. It is not possible to cover those teachers’ classes but we will use the big screen in the atrium to let students know which lessons are continuing.”
He added that if not being taught, students would have the option of staying on site or going home. If they decide on the latter then they would be required to sign out.
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