Oulton Academy: 13 pictures as teaching staff strike outside Leeds school in row over contracts

Oulton Academy remained closed today (June 28) as 60 members of staff joined the strike, with several picketing outside the school gates.

It followed a meeting between Leeds National Education Union and the Carlton Academy Trust, which runs the school, in which the union claimed CEO Adrian Kneeshaw refused to agree to incorporate national terms and conditions into new and future contracts for staff at the academy.

Staff have told the YEP this has left some “worried about how it could affect them”, as they would not be on the standard terms as other teachers across the country.

Rachel Ferraby is a learning support assistant at the school. She said that, for the most part, parents have been supportive of the action.

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“We want to be there for the students, doing what we do best,” she explained. “But the conditions that we work under are the conditions that the kids have to learn under. This isn’t about money at all. We just want the same terms and conditions that every teacher and support worker has across the country.”

She explained that the majority of NEU members at the school - more than 87 per cent - voted for the industrial action.

She said: “The differences in contracts came to light when we were taken over by the trust. They’re not the same terms and conditions we’ve had previously. For example, the contracts would only be offering 15 days’ sick pay over a year, which is very different to how it is across the country.”

Rachel added: “We want proper policies in place that give better protections for staff.”

Members of the union are also expected to strike on July 8 and July 9.

Oulton Academy and the Carlton Academy Trust were asked to comment.

Here are 13 photos from today’s picket -