College staff to strike over 'financial failings'

Teachers at a sixth form college are set to strike over "financial failings" which they say are threatening jobs and damaging the education of students.

Members of NASUWT will walk out of Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough on Friday to begin a five-day strike.

The union claimed Atomic Educational Trust, which runs the college, had failed to provide transparency or reassurances about the financial position of the college with declining student numbers and poor building quality.

Head of Prior Pursglove College Angela Stevenson said the college is "open and transparent" about changes and is committed to providing a high-quality education, but recognised changes have been "difficult".

She said staff had been "kept informed of the challenges facing the college and the rationale for change at all times".

The NASUWT said student numbers at the college are declining and the buildings "are in a poor state of repair to the extent that some classrooms are out of action".

The union said its members were walking out over "financial failings which are threatening jobs and undermining educational provision".

General secretary Matt Wrack said: "We have serious concerns about the financial management of the college.

"Frontline staff and pupils are paying the price of poor decision making by senior trust leaders through cuts to jobs and a declining environment in which to learn and teach."

The union highlighted concerns around further restructuring with the threat of redundancies after a previous restructure resulted in frontline jobs lost.

Stevenson said measures are in place to "ensure this strike action creates minimum disruption to our students" with college leaders and members of the trust's team making themselves available for cover.

The college said changes are being made to "recognise the reduction in student numbers at Prior Pursglove College and the changing needs of the local population".

Repair works on college buildings are "fully planned out and ongoing" and efforts are being made to ensure "minimum disruption to staff and students", the college said.

But Stevenson said the college recently achieved its best A Level, vocational and other course results in three years, which included a 97.33% A Level pass rate.

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