STRIKE action could take place on children’s return to a primary school after it was announced that nine dinner ladies have been made redundant due to a staffing review.
The move, outlined by Ladywood Primary in Grimethorpe, has prompted other staff to carry out a vote which could see industrial action begin after the summer break.
The school, on Nancy Road, said in a statement that many of its pupils have ‘social and emotional issues’ - making times such as their lunch break ‘incredibly challenging’.
A statement from the school said: “At Ladywood it has become necessary to undertake a review of lunchtime staffing needs to ensure the best possible outcome for pupils in our care.
“Many of the pupils that attend have social and emotional issues that make unstructured times such as play and lunchtimes incredibly challenging for them.
“Disruptions have a negative effect upon the teaching and learning process.
“As a school we have embraced the principles of THRIVE, a social and emotional approach to working with children which is based on the latest neuroscience and attachment research.
“THRIVE provides a wealth of positive practical strategies and activities that can be used by consistent trained adults during free time to develop relationships and allow children to flourish.
“It is our intention to use teaching staff and trained support staff to teach social and emotional learning at non-structured times negating the need for supervision of the children at lunchtimes.
“The proposal to remove school meals supervisory assistants from the staffing structure will be effective from the 2018/19 academic year.”
The change will see seven teaching assistants replace the dinner ladies who were previously responsible for supervising all of the pupils during the break.
Representatives from the trade union Unison wrote to Barnsley Council on Monday to give notice of its intention to ballot its members after it claimed Ladywood would not enter discussion.
Unison area organiser Jordan Stapleton said: “Our dinner ladies have been at the heart of the local community supporting children for generations. They are long-serving, dedicated women and it’s shocking to suggest they are no longer needed.
“It’s also completely unfair and unreasonable to just expect teaching assistants to pick up the duties as they are stretched enough as it is. Above all else our members are concerned with how this will affect the children.
“The plans simply don’t add up. If the dinner ladies are made redundant, the teaching assistants can’t provide the one-to-one support the headteacher wants because they’ll be supervising all 210 pupils.
“We do not believe the school has to make these cuts for financial reasons because the savings, and more, can be achieved elsewhere.
“Strike action is always a last resort for our members but the school’s refusal to hold talks and reconsider has left us with no other option.”
