Teachers in Hackney have said they feel like they have been trampled on and “treated like fools” as they desperately fight to keep their schools open.
St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School is among six in the borough that are facing closure or a merger as a result of a plummeting birth rate.
Nearly a quarter of reception places have been unfilled in Hackney schools since October, with the council pressing ahead with plans to shut the sites for good.
Around 70 teachers, parents, and activists took to the picket lines outside St Dominic’s school to protest against the school’s closure as staff face being sacked.
In one case, a member of staff was moved to tears as they made a speech about the school’s increasing chance of closure.
One striking staff member was heard saying “I’m going to stay at St Dominic’s even if I have to chain myself to the gate”.
Meanwhile, another teacher at the strike explained pupils have been asking “Why are all my friends leaving. I had four friends but I have two left” as parents seek alternative arrangements for their children.
Teacher Carly Slingsby told the Standard staff at St Dominic’s are still waiting for a negotiations meeting to be set up.
Teachers have also complained they are being offered the minimum redundancy offer that Hackney Council is legally allowed to provide.
Staff at the school had hoped they would be offered an improved offer if they stayed until the end of the school year.
Ms Slingsby explained: “What they saw last year is that [staff] were leaving in droves before the end of the process.
“They had half-empty schools, they weren’t allowed to recruit staff so left them in quite a difficult position. But we were recently told that that’s not happening.
“You don’t dangle the carrot and then take it away. For those who have been there a few years their redundancy pay isn’t going to be very much. It’ll just be a few weeks earnings.”
The teacher also highlighted that staff will be entering a tough teaching job market with fewer positions, meaning it could be difficult to get jobs by the start of the next school year.
Staff may have little choice but to take on temporary work or lower wages.
Due to a legal condition, teachers may also have to wait four weeks to start a new job, meaning they may not be able to start a new role until October after being made redundant in August.
Ms Slingsby continued: “No one is hiring in October. Schools are not going to be waiting for you to start in October. They are not going to wait the entirety of September.”
She pressed on: “Most teachers may have to wait until April time until they will get any proper full-time work.
“We have lots of very experienced teachers in our school so I doubt they are going to be hiring at the same salary. People are going to be taking major losses.”
“Everyone just feels like they have had a slap in the face really. Throughout the entire process people feel like they haven’t been listened to, they feel like they have been treated like fools.
“Part of this strike was saying ‘we want you to listen. We have had enough of you trampling all over us.’”
“I think people are willing to fight to the bitter end. Of course, there is quite a huge chance that we won’t be successful but we need some pushback.
“We need some resistance. I think other people need to see what we’re doing and learn what we have done this year so if it is their school next year they have a model to go and people to reach out to.”
On a consultation website for the proposals, Hackney Council said it was “consulting on changes that would affect up to six primary schools.”
“This is because the significant fall in pupil numbers has caused the financial position of some of the borough’s schools to worsen to the point that it is no longer possible for the Council to maintain them.”
In documents outlining the proposal last month, Hackney’s deputy mayor, Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, added: “We know that, if the proposals are approved, the processes of closure, with or without a merger will be challenging for the whole school community.
“We are therefore taking a proactive approach with all those involved, including the trade unions, to ensure that staff are involved in these discussions and supported to retain, upskill or find new employment.
“We recognise that when we merge schools, we must ensure that the continuing school has the right facilities and resources to meet the aspirations of the schools and their communities.”
