School redundancies paused after strike threat

A threat of strike action by a teachers union has forced a Norfolk academy trust to pause its consultation on redundancies.

Synergy Multi Academy Trust has proposed 30 job losses across two schools in order to address what it says is a budget deficit of £2.9m.

More than 100 parents and pupils demonstrated outside Reepham High School and College on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the trust said it was pausing its consultation and a letter to parents stated it would "revise our approach to looking at other operational savings across all our schools".

The National Education Union (NEU) has told the BBC that an indicative ballot supported strike action.

The Synergy Multi Academy Trust had said it identified 16 teaching roles, one leadership post and eight support staff posts that should close at Reepham.

It said it planned to cut four support staff and one leadership post at Litcham School near King's Lynn.

The trust blamed historic government underfunding and a declining birth rate in Norfolk.

It is expecting there to be about 150 fewer pupils across all years at Reepham High School in 2026-27, compared with 2020-21.

The trust runs 15 schools in total.

Scott Lyons, the district and branch secretary of the NEU, said he told the trust not to underestimate the "strength of feeling in the community".

Louise Lee, chief executive of the trust, said: "Our aim has, and will always be, to provide excellent teaching and learning across our schools.

"As such, it was felt that the risk of strike action put this key objective in jeopardy at a crucial time in many students' learning."

She said staffing structures would be reviewed at the start of the new year, and that she was "acutely aware" of the worry and anxiety this was causing staff, pupils and parents.

"Whatever solution is decided upon, it will sadly result in restructures, job losses and changes in the way we operate across our schools."

The trust said it would arrange meetings with parents in the new year.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.