Dear Parents and Carers,

Industrial Action by NEU Teachers

I hope that you and your families are well. I am following up from the previous information regarding Industrial action by teachers. We now have plans in place for the further two days of action by the NEU, on Wednesday 5^th July & Friday 7^th July 2023 and want to give you as much notice of this as possible.  At Berkeley Primary School, we have 15 teachers (56% of our teachers) in the NEU and I have been informed that some of these will strike.

We have had lengthy discussions about how to try to minimise the disruption to education and at the same time ensure adequate supervision to keep our children safe. We will not be able to have all children in school on this strike day. 

We have been notified by those staff who intend to strike, therefore the plan for the strike days on Wednesday 5^th & Friday 7^th July 2023 are as follows, any changes will be communicated to all parents:

• Nursery – will be closed
• Reception – will be closed except for Critical Workers and Vulnerable children
• Years 1-6 – will be in school as normal.

Please note this change to previous Strike Days- Year 1 and 2 are also in school as normal on these two days.

If your child is in school, they will follow their normal timetable.

Where students are working from home, children should complete work from the National Oak Academy (found on https://www.thenational.academy/) ,Numbots and the Bug Club online reading books (both of which parents have log ins for).

Children of critical workers and vulnerable children

The Government has asked us to prioritise places for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. The full list of critical workers can be found in Annex B at the end of the Government’s guidance for schools on emergency planning link below:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1114577/Emergency_planning_and_response_for_education__childcare_and_children_s_social_care_settings.pdf

If you are a Reception parent and believe that both parents/carers are a critical worker and would like to apply for a place in school on Wednesday 5^th & Friday 7^th July for your child(ren), please complete the form below by 9am on Monday 3^rd July. Please note, only new applications will need to be submitted for these strike days. You do not need to complete a new form if you have already completed one previously, your child will automatically get a place this time.

https://forms.gle/PGMCSMwgHWkLCmpG8

If you have made a new application you will be notified if you have a place on Monday 3^rd July 2023. These children will be supervised in school and do activities with our teaching assistants.  If your child is in Year 1-6 you do not need to complete this form as they are in school on all strike days. 

All students who are on our ‘vulnerable’ groups list (those with a social worker) will be offered a place on the strike days. Parents will be contacted separately to confirm arrangements.

School meals

Those children in school will have a school dinner as normal as the kitchen staff are unaffected by the strike action.

If your child is a ‘means tested’ Free School Meal child, based on income (not universal free school meal offered to all infant children), you are entitled to come to school to collect a ‘lunch bag’ that can be given to your child at home.  The parents of those children entitled to this will receive a form shortly to complete if you would like to come to school to collect this between 11:00am and 12:00pm on 5th & 7^th July. 

Breakfast Club

Breakfast club will be open as normal for Years 1-6 and for those children in Reception that have been given places as parents being critical workers or vulnerable.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. The school is trying to ensure that as many students as possible have the opportunity to be in school during these days.  Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any queries.

Best wishes

Anna Cvijetic

Headteacher