Schools closed in Nailsea and nearby next Wednesday
By Carol_Deacon | Thursday, November 24, 2011, 17:23
SIX secondary schools in North Somerset have confirmed they are to close next Wednesday, November 30, due to industrial action.
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Pension facts for parents
Backwell, Broadoak, Churchill, Gordano and Nailsea and Priory comprehensives will close while Clevedon, Hans Price, St Katherine's and Worle schools are still deciding.
Nailsea School headteacher David New has apologised in a letter to parents 'for any inconvenience this may cause'.
It is expected more than half of all infant, junior, primary and secondary schools will also be closed along with some specialist education centres, children's centres and public libraries.
A Clevedon School spokesman said they will be making a decision on Friday when the union has informed them of the numbers of staff involved.
Although the late decisions frustrated some working parents many support the stance of the teachers.
Clevedon parent Alistair Lindsay said: "A good education is the most important thing our children can have and our teachers, tutors and school staff are all a part of providing that vital start in life.
"Teaching is not a job it is a vocation and many dedicate their lives to the education of others and it is a shame to see them cast aside and forgotten when they decide to retire.
"As a parent to three children all in primary education I am in full support of the teachers actions towards gaining a fairer deal for the hard work and dedication to their jobs.
Wrington dad Tom Henry said: "In difficult times you have to stick up for yourself and I think they should take action especially the younger teachers as what sort of future have they got without a secure pension."
Most of the staff involved belongs to the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) who are concerned about cuts to their pensions.
The government has put the nationally cost of the walkout at £500 million and is warning it could lead to job losses among the very staff taking them.
But unions are adamant pension changes will severely affect their members and that current employer proposals don't work for them.
National Union of Teachers North Somerset division secretary Jonathan Reddiford said: "Teachers and other public sector workers are being asked to pay more for their pensions, to work longer and get less in retirement.
"Every since the teacher's pension scheme was set up in 1923, £43 billion more has been paid in that has been paid out so there is a huge surplus and no need for any reforms."
Mr New said: "Unless the industrial action is called off Nailsea School will not be open to students on that date.
"The number of staff who has indicated that they will be available for work on that date would make it impossible to provide a meaningful experience for students.
"Additionally, I would be unable to supervise or ensure safe evacuation of the building in the event of an emergency, with a full cohort of students."
Although some sixth form tutors mindful of exam expectations will be teaching small groups of A-level students on an individual basis, he said.
Mr New added: "In the event that the action is called off, the school will be open as usual."
North Somerset Council has posted a list of closures on its website at http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/. This is the situation at 3pm on Thursday.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
All Saints East, Clevedon OPEN
Ashcombe, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Backwell Junior
Banwell CLOSED
Becket, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Birdwell, Long Ashton CLOSED
Blagdon partial closure Classes 1 and 2 CLOSED
Bournville, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Burrington CLOSED
Castle Batch, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Christ Church, Weston-super-Mare partial closure, all classes open except reception closed
Churchill
Corpus Christi, Weston-super-Mare OPEN
Court de Wyck, Claverham OPEN
Crockerne, Pill OPEN
Dundry
Flax Bourton CLOSED
Golden Valley, Nailsea, partial closure Years affected Yr 1 and Yr 3 (1 class closed), Y4 (both classes closed), Y5 (1 class closed), Y6 (both classes closed)
Grove Junior, Nailsea CLOSED
Hannah More Infant, Nailsea CLOSED
Herons Moor, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
High Down Infant, Portishead Partial Closure Nurs (Toucans), Rec (Puffins), Y1 (Penguins, Flamingoes and Ducks), Y2 (Seagulls) all CLOSED
High Down Junior, Portishead
Hillside First, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Hutton, Weston-super-Mare Partial Closure Rec, Yr 2 & 3 Open Yr 1, 4, 5 & 6 CLOSED
Kewstoke, Weston-super-Mare OPEN
Kingshill, Nailsea CLOSED
Locking, Weston-super-Mare Partial Closure Classes 1C, 2F, 4/5S and 5/6C CLOSED
Mary Elton, Clevedon partial closure Yr 1 - Beech and Cherry classes, Yr 2 - Elm class, Yr 3 - Holly class, Yr 4 - Oak class and Yr 6 - Sycamore class all closed
Mead Vale, Weston-super-Mare OPEN
Mendip Green First, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Milton Park, Weston-super-Mare
Northleaze, Long Ashton partial losure Rec (In for lunch and pm), Yr 1 & 2 (Normal day), Yr 3 (open from 12.20 onwards), Y4 (in a.m. collect at 1.15), Yr 5 (Closed), Yr 6 (open as normal)
Oldmixon, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Portishead
St. Andrew's, Congresbury OPEN
St. Anne's, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
St. Francis, Nailsea
St. Georges, Weston-super-Mare
St. John the Evangelist CE, Clevedon CLOSED
St. Joseph's Catholic, Portishead
St. Mark's, Worle CLOSED
St. Martin's, Worle
St. Mary's, Portbury
St. Nicholas Chantry, Clevedon
St. Peter's, Portishead Partial Closure Yrs 1 & 6 are open, Other Yrs all closed
Sandford CLOSED
Tickenham, Clevedon CLOSED
Trinity, Portishead
Uphill, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Walliscote, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
West Leigh, Backwell CLOSED
Windwhistle, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Winford CLOSED
Winscombe CLOSED
Worlebury St. Pauls, Weston-super-Mare
Wraxall
Wrington
Yatton Infant OPEN
Yatton Junior partial closure closed to classes 1 Yr 3/4, 1 Yr 4, 1 Yr 5 and 2 Yr 6
Yeo Moor Primary, Clevedon CLOSED
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Backwell CLOSED
Broadoak, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Churchill CLOSED
Clevedon
Gordano CLOSED
Hans Price, Weston-super-Mare
Nailsea CLOSED
Priory, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
St. Katherine's, Pill
Worle, Weston-super-Mare
SPECIAL SCHOOLS
Baytree, Weston-super-Mare partial closure ppen to some classes
Ravenswood, Nailsea
Westhaven, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Education other than at School(EOTAS)
Fairways, Uphill, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
The Larch Centre, Weston-super-Mare CLOSED
Oakhill, Nailsea CLOSED
SAIL @ Weston College CLOSED
Tuition Service North CLOSED
Tuition Service South CLOSED
EOTAS Vocational Centre CLOSED
LIBRARIES
Banwell
Campus, Weston-super-Mare
Clevedon
Congresbury
For All Healthy Living Centre, Weston-super-Mare
Long Ashton
Nailsea
Pill
Portishead
Weston-super-Mare
Winscombe
Worle
Yatton
Mobile Library
CHILDREN'S CENTRES
Ashcombe, Weston-super-Mare OPEN
Banwell, Winscombe & Sandford - Banwell OPEN
Clevedon partial closure closed from 11.30am
Crockerne, Pill OPEN
Milton & Old Worle, Weston-super-Mare OPEN
Nailsea & Backwell - Nailsea OPEN
Portishead OPEN
Yatton closed on Wednesday
Central Weston OPEN
South Weston OPEN
Yeo Valley OPEN
Comments
Roll Up, Roll Up, join Vikki Jones in the Great Race To The Bottom!! Just a quick point, Ms Jones; teachers DON'T "think they deserve more than everyone else", they just want what they signed up for. No more. No less. And quite rightly so. Using your analogy, if your house was burgled, would you want every other house in the street burgled too, just because it happened to you? What the Hell is wrong with you people? Why do you bleat about other people having better pensions and Conditions Of Service than you? Why, instead of trying to drag everyone down to your level, why not try to improve your own lot and raise what YOU have? Or is it just easier to whine about other folk? I'm in the Emergency Services and haven't had a payrise for two years, and I can't see myself getting one anytime soon, so, effectively, I've had a pay cut. If the Government steal more money from me for my pension, I'll have an even bigger pay cut. My sister, who works in the private sector, has a had a payrise every year. Does that make me jealous? No. I grew up. Years ago.
"get real and be thankful you have a job"
What? Would you like them to tug their forelock or bow and curtsy, too?
Thankfully, not everyone is an obsequious lickspittle. Some people have the backbone to stand up for themselves. If my union was taking industrial action, I'd have no qualms about doing so. Goodwill appreciation and job satisfaction don't pay my mortgage.
You've certainly overtaken me in The Great Race To The Bottom, Ms Jones. In fact, judging by your vitriolic rhetoric, I'd put you in the lead. Congratulations.
By Ben_dover1 at 11:03 on 28/11/11
ReportNailsea mum of two Vikki Jones said: "We all work hard in our jobs but in this current climate with the economy we all have to make sacrifices with our working conditions, pay and pensions.
"Why should teachers be immune to it!?
"I do value our education system, but get real and be thankful you have a job there are plenty of people who don't and don't get a choice, ask you fellow friends in different jobs how they're jobs don't offer everything that they deserve and want.
"This recession effects the majority of households in some way or another so why do teachers think they deserve more than everyone else?
"But everyone has a right to an opinion and I'm sure they will eventually get they're own way which will then cost us taxpayers even more and put more of a squeeze on our all ready tight budgets."
And another Nailsea mum Ellie Taylor said: "Teacher's don't think they deserve more than everyone else, they think they deserve what they have already been promised and worked for and paid into and I agree.
"I just hope they don't throw tomatoes at me on Wednesday as I go through their picket line as unfortunately as a non teaching member of school staff I don't have a union behind me to support strike action.
"Still I understand their argument though and feel this government should be answerable ."
By Carol_Deacon at 21:56 on 24/11/11
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