Strike Action – 15th and 16th March

Dear Parent/Carers

Further to my previous correspondence, the National Education Union (NEU) is planning to continue with its industrial action and the next strike days will take place on 15th and 16th March. I am writing to give you as much notice as possible of the likely impact of the action on the academy.

It remains our intention to minimise disruption where possible and ensure vulnerable students and the children of key workers are still able to attend school in person.  

For the majority of students, they will be asked to study remotely during strike days, and live online lessons will take place in line with the normal timetable where possible. Where a lesson was due to be taught by a member of staff that is striking, alternative work will be set to be conducted during that lesson. 

Year 11 and 13 students will be expected to attend school as normal.

Vulnerable students and the children of key workers will be able to attend school as normal and will join their classmates in virtual lessons under the supervision of our staff. Break and lunch times will operate as normal with appropriate supervision in place in the normal way. If you are a key worker, please contact us as soon as possible to confirm that your child will be attending on strike days. If you do not require a place for your child then they can attend virtually along with other students. 

If you are a parent of a vulnerable child, we will contact you separately to confirm your child’s attendance on strike days. 

As the academy will be expecting years 11 and 13, vulnerable and key worker children to attend school, break and lunch provisions and free school meals will still be offered. In addition, the bus arrangements will continue as normal. Our usual expectations on punctuality, uniform, behaviour, equipment and fully-charged chromebooks will be upheld for both days.

We appreciate that industrial action is disruptive and you may need to change your plans or working arrangements whilst this action is ongoing. We will of course continue to monitor the arrangements in place and make modifications where possible to improve support for students where we can. If the strike action is called off, then we will confirm this immediately and in this eventuality, the school will be open as usual to all students.  

If you have any questions or concerns about the alternative arrangements outlined above, please contact the academy at info@longfieldacademy.org in the first instance. As ever, thank you for your continued support.

Yours faithfully

Dr Felix Donkor

Principal