The union behind the industrial action at St Ivo Academy says the outcomes from lengthy talks with the school’s academy trust will now be put to its members.
Teachers from the NASUWT union at the St Ives secondary school walked out over two days last week in a dispute over working conditions.
They were due to strike again between Tuesday and Thursday this week (November 7-9) – but all three of those dates were called off.
Tuesday’s date was initially called off for talks to be held between the union and the Astrea Academy Trust, which runs the school.
Then, after their three-hour meeting, it was announced the remaining strike dates scheduled for this week were also cancelled.
NASUWT and the Astrea Academy Trust issued a joint statement following their discussions.
It said: “Both the school and our NASUWT colleagues are pleased to announce that the strike days planned this week have been cancelled.
“This is to allow everyone the time to reflect on the discussion and outcomes of [Tuesday’s] meeting, and provide an opportunity to negotiate further if needed.
“Other strike days will be announced, but it is hoped that these will not be necessary.”
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NASUWT says as well as taking any concessions made in the meeting to its members, it will also continue discussions with parents.
The dispute centres around the school’s controversial behaviour policy and, what the union describes, as “the erosion of professional autonomy” with teachers being told how to deliver their lessons.
The union says its members are even told where bins need to be positioned in the classrooms and what posters can be placed on the walls – both of which the Astrea Academy Trust denies.
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Mark Burns, NASUWT’s national executive for Cambridgeshire, said the union plans to meet with the country’s largest teaching union next week to discuss the dispute.
Even though the National Education Union (NEU) did not join the recent industrial action, it made the unusual move of issuing a solidarity statement last week to the striking teachers.
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