Message from Lisa Richards, Centre Principal: 

There are further teacher strikes planned for Thursday 27^th April and Tuesday 2^nd May 2023. As you are already aware, a number of teachers at the college are members of the National Education Union (NEU) and they have been instructed by the union not to attend work on these dates. As previously, this affects students in different ways, but the arrangements for each of these two days are slightly different. Please read below and if anything is unclear, please do speak to your teachers for guidance.

Thursday 27^th April

·       This is our Progression Exam week for A1 students. Therefore, A1 A Level and Mixed Study Programme students are entirely unaffected by the strike action on this day.

·       All scheduled Progression Examinations will go ahead as planned. All students expected to sit these important examinations should attend at the time stated on their personal exam timetable.

·       A2 vocational students are unaffected by strike action as it is your study day.

·       A2 A Level students will attend online lessons where teachers are not striking and may be set work to complete if the teacher is striking. Your teacher will let you know in advance which will happen.

·       Some teachers who are NEU members have received special dispensation from the NEU to be able to teach their lessons. Teachers will let you know if this is the situation, so please do not assume that your lesson will not be running. Lessons will be online.

·       Many full time vocational A2 lessons will take place in college. Your teachers will inform you if this is the arrangement for you or if your lesson will be online.

·       Students should be guided by teachers who will tell you in advance if their lessons are running.  They will tell you whether the lesson is online or taking place in college. The majority will be online, but examples of lessons that may take place in college are below:

·       Some teachers of creative or technical subjects who are not on strike will be asking students to come into college for lessons so that you can utilise the specialist resources here.  If this is the case, you can use college IT to access any other lessons that are being delivered online.

Tuesday 2^nd May

·       Any planned assessments (e.g. Art) will go ahead as scheduled.

·       A2 A Level and Mixed Programme students will attend lessons online if they are running. Some teachers who are in the NEU and are striking may set you work for the missed lesson. Please ask each of your teachers how you will learn on that day.

·       Some teachers who are NEU members have received special dispensation from the NEU to be able to teach their lessons. Teachers will let you know if this is the situation, so please do not assume that your lesson will not be running. Lessons will be online.

·      A2 vocational students are unaffected by this strike day as it is your study day.

·      A1 students –some of your lessons will be cancelled, if your teacher is in the NEU. Other lessons will run online. Your teachers will let you know in advance if they are delivering lessons.

·       Students should be guided by teachers who will tell you in advance if their lessons are running.  They will tell you whether the lesson is online or taking place in college. The majority will be online, but examples of lessons that may take place in college are below:

·       Some teachers of creative or technical subjects who are not on strike will be asking students to come into college for lessons so that you can utilise the specialist resources here.  If this is the case, you can use college IT to access any other lessons that are being delivered online.

For both strike days, registers will be taken for all lessons that are running as normal, whether in college or online. Where lessons are not running because the teacher is on strike, we will use a register code that does not affect your attendance.

Also, on both strike days:

 

·       All college services to students (IL, Careers interviews, Support with Apprenticeship applications, Counselling) are available as normal, with some flexibility to deliver remotely if required/possible.

·       College will be open to students who wish to come in to study privately or to access lessons or support facilities.

·       Students who receive free college meals will be credited as normal each day and are welcome to come into college for their meal/s.

·       All members of the Senior Leadership Team will be in college on both days, and there are enough staff – including members of the Safeguarding Team – around college to enable us to open up facilities for students who wish to come in to study.

I hope that I have covered everything and that all is clear, but please do ask a member of staff or get in touch with me if anything needs clarification.

Again, I am very sorry for any disruption that these alternative arrangements may cause and do hope that you are able to achieve something productive from the day, through lessons and/or independent study.

Yours faithfully

Lisa Richards (Centre Principal)