Birley Spa Primary: Sheffield teacher says senior staff 'undermined' strike by hiring agency workers

Staff from Birley Spa Primary Academy joined approximately 100,000 members of the National Education Union (NEU) on Wednesday (February 1) in a walkout over wages and Government support. Many schools nationwide opted to shut for the day due to the disruption, while others – including Birley Spa – remained fully or partially open to selected year groups, with senior staff and agency teachers stepping in to cover.

Now, a Birley Spa teacher says they feel the school “undermined” their strike action by using agency staff, and that they do not feel supported by senior leaders over the walkout.

The teacher, who asked not to be named, told The Star: “The whole point of the industrial action is being undermined by leadership. That is to say, strikes should be disruptive in some way in order to gain attention and spread a message to the public. Because our classes are being covered by potentially inexperienced and/or unqualified staff, it’s undermining the whole point of the strike.

“Leadership are actively disrupting the very important message that our strike represents. Schools are underfunded, teachers are underpaid, and the retention and recruitment of good, qualified teachers is abysmal.

Many of us are angered by the lack of public support from our own leadership team and feel this needs to be public knowledge. The community deserves to know that their child’s teachers are standing up for the long term future of education.”

Ahead of the walkout, union members were not obligated to tell their schools if they would be striking. The NEU reported there were 34 picket lines outside school gates in Sheffield on Wednesday, led by approximately 3,000 members in the Steel City.

A spokesperson from the Birley Spa Primary School said: “In line with government and DfE guidance and expectations, all appropriate policies and procedures have been followed in relation to appropriate staff cover and PPA allocation around strike action. Qualified staff, familiar to the children, will be responsible for teaching and learning in every class.”

NEU members voted to strike in January demanding a pay rise in line with inflation and extra funding for support staff.