Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Clydach Primary School in Swansea will be taking the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over adverse management practices which are affecting teachers’ health and working conditions.
 
Members at the school are taking action as a result of the failure of the local authority and school governors to act to address serious longstanding management failings on the part of the permanent headteacher.
 
These include the bullying of staff, failure to take appropriate responsibility for managing and leading teaching and learning, failure to fulfil duties around safeguarding the health and safety of pupils and staff and a failure to adequately meet the professional standards teachers expect of a school leader.

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:
 
“Trust and confidence in the school leadership has completely broken down as a result of years of failure to address the significant concerns of staff about the way in which the school is being run and they are being managed.
 
“So strong are the feelings of teachers that they have issued a collective grievance to the Chair of Governors regarding the headteachers’ working practices.
 
“Teachers feel they and the pupils they teach have been unacceptably let down by the local authority, governors and management of the school and that this situation cannot be allowed to continue.
 
“We urge the local authority and governing body to recognise the seriousness of the situation and to take the steps needed to re-establish professional, accountable and focused management of the school.”  
 
Neil Butler, NASUWT National Official Wales, said:
 
“The local authority and governing body are failing in their duty of care to staff and pupils at Clydach. They have had numerous opportunities to act to address the long-running management problems at the school but have failed to do so.
 
“Members now feel that they have no choice but to take strike action in a bid to bring about much needed positive change at the school.
 
“Sadly, It is too late for the numerous members of staff who have felt that they have had no option but to leave Clydach. Our members are determined to fight to safeguard the future of Clydach Primary School for the learners, for their own right to be treated with dignity at work, and for the right of their pupils to attend a school which is managed effectively and professionally.”