By Chris Williamson–
A Brent special school has been forced to strike action over disputes about cuts to pay and hours. Running from midnight every Fri & Sat. Free with NEC or from £2.10.
Woodfield School in Kingsbury, which caters for boys and girls aged 11 to 19 with special educational needs including physical disabilities and autism. has already had to close for six days after members of the National Education Union (NEU) walked out.
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The school is part of the Compass Learning Partnership academy trust. The union says members are striking “in a fight to retain their pay”, as learning support assistants at the school “face pay cuts resulting from forced change in hours”.
Brent special schools focus on inclusive environments, tailored learning, and strong partnerships, offering individualized support, specialist staff (like accredited SENCOs), adapted curriculums, and therapies (speech/language) to help students with diverse needs (Autism, PMLD, Medical) thrive, emphasizing early identification, parental involvement, and holistic development.
Key qualities include adapted teaching, smaller classes, targeted interventions, and promoting a sense of achievement for all, The NEU’s local branch secretary Jenny Cooper claimed the staff are having their weekly hours reduced from 36 to 32.5 – which equates to a £250 per month loss in income.
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Ms Cooper said: “This school and trust cannot operate without our members – they are the frontline workforce behind a company that generates generous salaries for its top executives. We do not see why staff in the classroom should see cuts to their pay when it is already so low.”
The NEU claimed that its representatives have tried reaching out to the trust to resolve the issues and prevent the need for strike action. However, this approach appears to have failed so far.
On top of the six strike days that have already taken place, there are three more planned for next week – Wednesday 17, Thursday 18, and Friday 19. Ms Cooper explained that these will go ahead unless the school “comes back with a reasonable offer before then”
Earlier in the year, the same trust faced three days of strike action at its other school in the borough – The Village School – which also caters to pupils with special educational needs. Staff and teachers were angry to have lost pay protections, including for pregnant and disabled workers, according to the NEU.
At the time, the union claimed school policy was changed without consultation and resulted in pay cuts for staff needing hospital appointments, ante-natal appointments and carers’ leave.
Staff at Woodfield School, members of the National Education Union (NEU), began striking over proposed cuts to their hours and pay, which they claim would affect the quality of learning and care for pupils. Negotiations to resolve the dispute at Woodfield stalled when management reportedly refused to consider union proposals that identified areas of over-spend which could cover funding gaps.
A point of contention highlighted by the union is that the multi-academy trust (Compass Learning Partnership) running the schools employs four executives, with the CEO and CFO earning over £130,000, while simultaneously proposing pay cuts for support staff.
Previous Dispute at The Village School: The same trust faced a separate, but related, dispute at The Village School earlier in the year. That conflict had a positive resolution, which might influence the current one.
Union Victory Template: In the case of The Village School, the union achieved a significant victory: the original leave-of-absence policy was restored, staff were reimbursed for lost earnings, and a written agreement was secured requiring mutual consent for any future policy changes.
This previous success provides a template and potential “turning point” for current negotiations. Despite the stalled talks, staff have continued with multiple days of strike action to fight the proposed changes. The situation remains dynamic, with staff determined to continue their fight against the proposed cuts, leveraging their previous negotiation successes as a model.
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