Advice for Trainee Teachers concerning Strike Action in Schools

As you are not ‘in employment’ you were not balloted to take part in industrial action and therefore cannot participate in strike action. Therefore, please follow the advice below:

1.      Should any strike action affect the parter school, as far as possible trainees should continue with their training programme. They should attend their timetabled classes which will be supervised by a supply teacher or cover supervisor, or they should work on university tasks if this proves impossible.

2.      Teachers/lecturers absent from a class, for whatever reason, cannot be covered by trainees who have not completed their training and so do not have QTS. A trainee should work with the supply teacher or cover supervisor who has legal responsibility for the class. You must not take a class without additional supervision being made available to you – i.e. you cannot cover a class for a member of staff who is absent due to participation in strike action without another, qualified, teacher being made legally responsible for that class.

3.      If a school/college is partially closed, trainees should teach any appropriate lessons they are responsible for on the day, as long as the school has arranged appropriate cover for any absent serving teacher. ‘Free periods’ should be spent in school, working on appropriate tasks (as listed in 4. below).

4.      If a school/college closes due to lack of staff, trainees should work on training tasks such as lesson planning, resource preparation or assignments etc. They may do this from home.

5. Trainees should inform their appropriate tutor of their whereabouts on the day of any strike action, so that accurate records can be maintained by the University.

Advice for Trainee Teachers concerning Strike Action in Schools – for School Direct (Salaried) Trainees.

As you are ‘in employment’ for at least some of your teaching time in school, you will have been balloted to take part in industrial action if you are a member of a union. Therefore, if you are a member of a union that is taking strike action, you are eligible to participate in strike action FOR THE PORTION OF YOUR TIMETABLE WHERE YOU ARE EMPLOYED BY THE SCHOOL if you choose to do so. You are NOT entitled to strike for the portion of your time that is deemed as ‘training’, for the reasons described above. Therefore, please follow the advice below:

For the portion of your timetable that is ‘training’ and not ‘employment’:

1.      Should any strike action affect the partner school, as far as possible trainees should continue with their training programme. They should attend their timetabled classes which will be supervised by a supply teacher or cover supervisor, or they should work on university tasks if this proves impossible.

2.      Teachers/lecturers absent from a class, for whatever reason, cannot be covered by trainees who have not completed their training and so do not have QTS. A trainee should work with the supply teacher or cover supervisor who has legal responsibility for the class. You must not take a class without additional supervision being made available to you – i.e. you cannot cover a class for a member of staff who is absent due to participation in strike action without another, qualified, teacher being made legally responsible for that class.

3.      If a school/college is partially closed, trainees should teach any appropriate lessons they are responsible for on the day, as long as the school has arranged appropriate cover for any absent serving teacher. ‘Free periods’ should be spent in school, working on appropriate tasks (as listed in 4. below).

4.      If a school/college closes due to lack of staff, trainees should work on training tasks such as lesson planning, resource preparation or assignments etc. They may do this from home.

5. Trainees should inform their appropriate tutor of their whereabouts on the day of any strike action, so that accurate records can be maintained by the University.

For the portion of your timetable that is ‘employment’ and not ‘training’:

1.      If a trainee chooses to take part in strike action, this is acceptable and is part of your rights as an employee who is a member of a union. The rules and regulations as set by the Trainee’s union should be followed in such circumstances. Any decision to strike MUST be reported to the appropriate University Tutor and to the Head Teacher of the school, in accordance with union rules and regulations.

Please contact your University Tutor if you require further guidance on this.