Dear all,
I would like to start this letter with just three of many highlights of the week here at Noadswood, from my perspective - it's important to do so always, and in times when there seems to be a cycle of challenge with which to contend for us all, it's ever more so.
Firstly, what a great day our Build a Book Day was for our young friends from our local primary schools. Author, Stewart Ross, is a great friend to Noadswood, and he commented on the Year 10 students who supported him and Miss Walker in leading the day as the very best he has worked with. Now I know for a fact he has worked with incredible Y10s in the past, so congratulations to this year's folk for being the best of the best. I am grateful to Miss Walker and to all our colleagues in the primary schools for making a day like this work.
Secondly, the atmosphere out on the Astro and the field in our social times has been really pleasing this week - staff and students alike have commented on how much they are benefiting from the better weather and the opportunity therefore to use this outdoor space. We know what a difference it makes. Mrs Loveday and Mr Rowling will be talking to the students about new indoor activities we will be commencing at lunchtime as well in a week or two's time, led by student leaders, supported by staff and there to keep making further improvements to our vibe at social times - we know we need to continue to put our time and attention here.
Thirdly, I have been visiting local primaries to welcome our Year 6s who will join us in September, and as I have done so, it's been lovely and really incredibly useful to see parents who also work in these schools who then provide me with intel, their perceptions, things they like and things that are worrying them about aspects of Noadswood life and provision. I can't emphasise enough how valuable that intel is, and how I never want anyone to wait until they are at breaking point about something before involving me and the Leadership Team - please do get in touch if you'd like to at any time, using headteacher@noadswood.hants.sch.uk. Or pop in to make an appointment via my PA, Berni Wyse, and I can schedule a slot with me and the right member of my team to progress a worry or an idea. If I seem to miss a mail, send another - I will never mean to do so.
Now, with regret, this letter must once again address the industrial action dates that are soon to take place. Unions continue to articulate ongoing concerns not just around offers that have been made with respect to pay but also schools' abilities to fund these without this being to the detriment of other vital parts of provision for young people, if an offer was to remain to the extent unfunded as it was in the proposal made following the last talks. At Noadswood, as in all settings, we respect colleagues’ right to strike, whilst we are also very mindful of the ongoing disruption for you all, and our children over and above all.
The National Education Union (NEU) have scheduled the strike action to take place on Thursday 27th April 2023 and Tuesday 2nd May 2023. As a school, and as before, we are obviously required to assess whether we can safely open if a number of colleagues are not present. As we stated before, approximately 53% of our teaching staff are in the NEU and have been asked to observe this action by their union, and this was, indeed, borne out by the approximate number who took the strike action on the previous occasion. Colleagues continue not to be required by law to give pre-warning of their decision to strike, so we cannot find out more accurately than this whether or not this figure will be replicated on this occasion, but it seems likely.
Given this level of potential absence, we have risk assessed according to all usual processes for doing so and concluded that we are unable to safely cover the site and normal lessons with that number of staff out. We have therefore made a series of plans for each of the industrial action days to provide an educational plan that will work and be safe, but that will also provide some variety of experience for as many students as possible across the two dates. A detailed plan is attached to this message for the following two dates.
Key Details
Thursday 27th April 2023 - Year 11 and Year 10 invited to attend between 9.30am and 12.15pm
Tuesday 2nd May 2023 - Year 11 and Year 9 invited to attend between 9.30am and 12.15pm
Thursday 27th April 2023
Year 11 are, as with the previous strike days, invited to attend school from 9.30am – 12.15pm. They will receive their normal lessons, and during any lessons where their teacher is striking, we will provide a combination of useful assessment practice / revision opportunities including time for private study. It is important Year 11 come prepared with their own personal revision work, to be conducted during times when their normal teachers are unavailable due to the strike. This should include revision guides and resources for GCSE subjects.
Year 10 are invited to attend school from 9.30am – 12.15pm. They will receive bespoke citizenship lessons, ahead of their GCSE exam, delivered by class teachers / cover staff where teachers are striking.
There will be one scheduled break for these year groups during this time when they can eat and relax as usual, and where packed lunches for those eligible for FSM will be available.
Years 7/8/9 will be invited to attend a mixture of FROG pre-assigned work or pre-recorded Teams lessons at home, with vulnerable children and those you identify to us as unable to work from home being welcomed in school alongside Year 11 and Year 10. You can inform us of the need for your child to be with us, if there is no safe alternative, via our online form (click here). Then, Lesson 4 and Lesson 5 will be Live Lessons for Years 7/8/9 via Microsoft Teams, delivered by non-striking teaching staff.
The visual for these days can be seen below (27/04/2023):
*Year 11 and Year 10 to leave site by 12.15pm
Tuesday 2nd May 2023
Year 11 are, as with the previous strike days, invited to attend school from 9.30am – 12.15pm. They will receive their normal lessons, and during any lessons where their teacher is striking, we will provide a combination of useful assessment practice / revision opportunities including time for private study. It is important Year 11 come prepared with their own personal revision work, to be conducted during times when their normal teachers are unavailable due to the strike. This should include revision guides and resources for GCSE subjects.
Year 9 are invited to attend school from 9.30am – 12.15pm. They will receive their normal lessons, and during any lessons where their teacher is striking we will provide a menu of Citizenship curriculum content and literacy/reading/mathematics and PE based activities for them. Year 9 students should also attend with a personal reading book and their trainers.
There will be one scheduled break for these year groups during this time when they can eat and relax as usual, and where packed lunches for those eligible for FSM will be available.
Years 7/8/10 will be invited to attend a mixture of FROG pre-assigned work or pre-recorded Teams lessons at home, with vulnerable children and those you identify to us as unable to work from home being welcomed in school alongside Year 11 and Year 9. You can inform us of the need for your child to be with us, if there is no safe alternative, via our online form (click here). Then, Lesson 4 and Lesson 5 will be Live Lessons for Years 7/8/10 via Microsoft Teams, delivered by non-striking teaching staff.
The visual for these days can be seen below (02/05/2023):
*Year 11 and Year 9 to leave site by 12.15pm
We understand that no model to cover a day interrupted by industrial action is ideal and the imperfections you spot about this one, we will undoubtedly share: our motivation for this pattern for the days, though, is to endeavour to give those closest to their exams greater in person structure for their days this time, whilst also maintaining an online offer for the remaining year groups. Any disruption is less than ideal, but hopefully the plan implemented, reduces the impact as much as possible for those students whose exams and formal assessment are closest.
As stated at the beginning of the letter, if a settlement is reached, and the industrial action is no longer taking place, the school will revert to its normal pattern for the day on each occasion.
If anyone has any questions or comments about their individual child(ren) about the plans above, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@noadswood.hants.sch.uk and one of us will be delighted to get back to you.
With our thanks again for your continued support around these recent alterations to the usual run of things,
Kathryn Marshall and the Noadswood Leadership Team