Tendring college teachers, students and parents at war with trust bosses

Concerns have been raised about the way the Academies Enterprise Trust has been running Tendring Technology College.

So much so, members of the National Education Union who work at the college have decided to down tools for three days starting on Tuesday.

They will form a picket line outside the sixth form’s Frinton and Thorpe-le-Soken campus in response to a planned staffing restructure.

The union’s members believe the shake-up will result in cuts to teaching and support staff jobs from September and impact students' education. 

The strike will come a week after the college's headteacher Michael Muldoon announced his resignation.

He has worked at the school for 12 years, including five years as principal.

Jerry Glazier, NEU Essex Branch Secretary said: “We have done our utmost to resolve this dispute through negotiation with AET.

“Regrettably, inadequate progress has left us with no option but to take the strike action.

“Members are doing this because they care about having a school structure that meets the needs of all its students.

“Current AET plans simply will not do that.”

A spokeswoman for the trust said bosses were upset teachers were planning to strike.

She said: "After the year that our students have had to contend with, with the majority of their learning taking place at home in front of a screen, it is deeply disappointing that the unions are determined to call their members out on strike next week. 

"One day lost to learning is one day too many. Despite our best attempts to engage the unions in constructive dialogue, they prefer to take this disproportionate and damaging action."

Read More: Students call on trust to relinquish control of Tendring college

Read More: Tendring College: Trust boss under fire for taking £300k salary

Since the news of the strike broke, students at Tendring Technology College have launched a petition calling for the trust to relinquish control of the school.

The campaign, which was started by a Year 11 pupil, garnered more than 1,400 signatures in less than 24 hours.

It was also launched in response to claims the trust takes £1,250 per student from the £4,500 Department for Education allocation to help run the multi-academy set-up.

Trust bosses have denied the claim, saying they only take £575 per pupil.

They have also acknowledged they have reduced the teacher headcount by four per cent, but said the college is "significantly overly staffed" at senior management level in comparison to other schools.

Speaking anonymously, the student said: “There has been a big loss of staff in all areas and it’s impacted our education.

"Staff are stretched so much they’re struggling and morale is low."

Student Izzy McInnes, 18, has also raised concerns about how the college is being run.

She said: “I have experienced first hand the abysmal treatment and neglect AET has shown towards TTC. 

“All of this debacle has led to teachers having no other choice than to strike to show their discontent.”

Speaking on behalf of many concerned parents and carers, Emily Wood, who knows people working at Tendring Technology College, added to the intensifying pressure being put on the trust.

She added: "I hear from staff members how their stress levels and mental health is declining.

"Some of them are in tears that they cannot support the kids how they want or need to.

"How kids are struggling but there isn’t enough staff to support them pastorally or academically?

"I’m fighting this fight for them because they feel gagged and cannot share the information themselves."

The trust's boss has also come under fire for allegedly receiving an eye-watering salary while the college’s staffing levels are being cut back.

Julian Drinkall is the chief executive of the non-profit Academies Enterprise Trust, which runs 58 schools across the country, including three in north Essex.

For the past two years he has taken home about £300,000 and is the second highest paid chief executive of an academy trust, according to a Schools Week report from 2019.

Mr Drinkall’s salary has come under scrutiny ahead of the three day strike at the trust’s Tendring Technology College.

Jerry Glazier, NEU Essex branch secretary, said: “The dispute has shone a light on how the trust’s costs appear to have been significantly increasing.“Very high CEO salaries are unacceptable to the union.

“These organisations are funded by public money.

“Money for schools should be maximised in schools to provide enough staff that enhance teaching and learning.”

Although union bosses believe the figure is far too high, the trust believes their boss' wage is justified given how many students Mr Drinkall oversees.

A spokeswoman for the trust stressed the CEO has also not taken a pay rise since being appointed five years ago.

She said: "AET has over 33,000 pupils across its 58 schools, and on a per school and pupil basis, the salary and total remuneration of the CEO is amongst the lowest of academy trust leaders in the country.

“It is also worth noting that the CEO has declined any pay increases since he joined the organisation in December 2016.”