Academies

Union ballots teachers on biggest academy trust strikes

The NEU is polling members across the Harris Federation on proposed walkouts over working conditions

The NEU is polling members across the Harris Federation on proposed walkouts over working conditions

24 Jan 2025, 10:00

More from this author

A union is balloting members over what would be the biggest strike against an academy trust in a row over teacher working conditions.

The dispute comes as Labour faced criticism for “allowing trade unions to run the department [of education]” over proposals in the schools bill that would take away academy freedoms.

The National Education Union (NEU) is polling members across the Harris Federation on proposed walkouts over working conditions. Ninety-two percent of voters supported action in an earlier indicative poll that attracted an 80 per cent turnout.

It would apply across Harris’ 18 London secondary schools.

‘No longer sustainable’

Daniel Kebede, the union’s general secretary, said: “For many working in Harris schools the work is no longer sustainable. Harris needs to address the working conditions of our members and spend more money on the things our pupils really need.”

The NEU has accused Harris – one of the country’s biggest trusts – of putting “excessive and unhealthy levels of workload” of teachers and having an “unfair and punitive pay progression system”.

Daniel Kebede
Daniel Kebede

It also alleged “unfair treatment of Caribbean and other overseas trained teachers”.

A Harris spokesperson said the trust had negotiated for more than a year with the union, “agreeing to their requests wherever we could”.

This is despite its “pay and conditions even before the start of this process being at least as good as other multi-academy trusts and local authorities”.

The only “sticking points”, the spokesperson said, were on a NEU demand “that our academies go so far beyond what is nationally agreed for teachers in other schools that our own students’ interests are compromised”.

“We urge their leadership… to now do the right thing and put the interests of our thousands of deserving students ahead of their own political agenda.”

Highest-paid executives

But Kebede said “all employers make choices about where and how they spend their money”, pointing out that Harris has “the highest-paid executives in the country”.

Sir Dan Moynihan, its chief executive, earned at least £485,000 in 2022-23. Two others earned at least £230,000.

NEU analysis suggests 27 per cent of Harris teachers left at the end of summer 2023, with staff retention among the worst for nine of the past ten years.

The figures are based on government teacher retention data obtained under freedom of information laws.

Harris said the numbers were inaccurate and the rate was 25.5 per cent.

This matches Education Policy Institute (EPI) figures that show Harris’s classroom teacher turnover rates stood at 26 per cent, putting the trust among the top 20 per cent of trusts and councils for high turnover.

However, trusts in London – where Harris mostly operates – do have higher rates.

Of the 18 MATs with four or more secondaries in the capital, six were ranked in the top 10 per cent for high teacher turnover.

Rates were highest at the City of London Academies Trust (47 per cent), according to the EPI.

It was followed by the Rosedale Hewens Academy Trust (42 per cent) and the Community Schools Trust (37 per cent).

However, the City of London said the figures were “incorrect and misleading”, and did not reflect internal data that showed turnover at 19 per cent.

The EPI said differences could be teachers moving into the trust central team and incomplete workforce census data.

London retention challenge

Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South – which had a rate of 27 per cent – said it faced “a particularly challenging retention landscape, with high property prices and a highly mobile workforce” in London.

“Many of our staff commute long distances, with significant travel costs, into London, which can also impact retention. Our turnover figures align with those from other local trusts.”

It gives staff benefits such as five more discretionary days off a year and enhanced maternity pay. It has seen “year-on-year” reductions in turnover, with 2023-24 rates at 23 per cent. 

Just four London councils with Harris academies still run secondaries, according to EPI. They recorded staff turnover rates of between 16 and 22 per cent.

Lucia Glynn, an academy consultant, believes the disparity between council and trust rates could be because many MATs take on “schools in difficulty”.

“The quickest way to solve those difficulties is to make change … and change is something people find difficult.”

Moynihan said earlier this week that a proposed reforms to make

ing academy orders for failing schools “discretionary” would lead to judicial reviews.

Takeovers were sometimes “hotly politically contested”, he said.

Latest education roles from

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Solihull College and University Centre

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Navigating NPQ Funding Cuts: An Apprenticeship Success Story

Last year’s NPQ funding cuts meant that half of England’s teachers faced costs of up to £4,000 to complete...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Embedding Formative Assessment: not just a box-ticking exercise but something long-term and meaningful for all

Our EFA programme has been proven to help schools achieve better GCSE results, as evidenced by the EEF. Find...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Building capacity in family support to tackle low school attendance 

Persistent and severe school absence impacts children, families, and communities—especially in disadvantaged areas. School-Home Support’s Attendance Support and Development Programme...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Academies

DfE abandons plan to scrap free school faith admissions cap

The previous Conservative government consulted on the proposals last year

Freddie Whittaker
Academies

Academy trust central teams gobble up £200m

Analysis of the 30 largest trusts found the average amount top-sliced has risen by 50% per pupil since 2021

Jack Dyson
Academies

Trusts on verge of going bust, accountancy report claims

Kreston Group study finds even biggest MATs have taken financial hit – but CEO pay is rising again

Jack Dyson
Academies

Delta trust merger given minister greenlight

Trust set to become second-biggest in England after receiving government go-ahead

Jack Dyson

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

One comment

  1. The line “It would apply across Harris’ 18 London secondary schools” is misleading. Harris has more than 18 secondaries in London – a number of these schools are not involved in this at all. The line should read “It would apply across 18 of Harris’ London secondary schools”.