Some teachers are delivering remote learning and others are staying at colleagues’ houses in moves to minimise the potential disruption to schools posed by rail strike action this week.
Three days of national strike action are planned by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) this week, starting today, as well as a one-day strike on the London Underground, which is also today.
Schools have seen a range of different levels of disruption, with some leaders telling Tes that they have not been affected “at all”, and others outlining how they have used contingency planning to minimise disruption.
Beth Dawson, headteacher at Sutton High School, an independent school in south London, said two teachers had been late at her school, and another two had been unable to make it in at all, as well as five pupils.
“We had a few coordinated lifts going on and some staff staying at each other’s houses. We’ve actually got an open evening on Thursday [when strike action will also be taking place], so we’ve got staff staying at each other’s houses then as it’ll finish at eight in the evening”, she said.
Ms Dawson said exam pupils had been contacted in the run-up to strike action to check they were OK to get in, and had offered places on minibuses to those that could not make it, but added: “Most managed to get on the bus or they set off super early.”
Rebecca Brown, headteacher at Northwood College for Girls, an independent school in north London, said that a few pupils were around 10 minutes late to an exam this morning, but were still able to complete the full paper.
She said that, generally, staff and pupils had been able to make it into the school, but that a “small handful” of teachers were teaching classes remotely via Google Meet.
“Schools have had to be adaptable in the past few years - this is another curveball that was thrown our way, but we have been able to adapt - I know my colleagues nationally will be doing the same”, she added.
Elsewhere, Sir Dan Moynihan, chief executive of the Harris Federation, which runs dozens of schools in and around London, said the academy chain’s minibuses were “on alert as a last resort” and would be used to collect students who would struggle to get in on time or for whom “things go wrong on the day”.
James Handscombe, executive principal at Harris Westminster sixth form, said staff and pupils at the school had managed to show “good levels of resilience”, with all students making it in for an A-Level exam this afternoon.
He said some staff and pupils had stayed at friends’ houses, and that he was “optimistic” that things could continue to work successfully throughout the rest of the strike action this week.
But he added: “On Thursday we have a nine o’clock exam; today’s was in the afternoon. So that is a little bit more fraught in terms of getting in on time.”
Mohsen Ojja, acting chief executive of The Mossbourne Federation, a group of schools in east London, said some of the trust’s schools had managed disruption by allowing staff to start late or arranging internal cover, but added that this only affected “a small handful of staff who live further afield and don’t drive”.
Mr Ojja also said the trust had mitigated the strikes by allowing central services staff to work from home.
Speaking on Sky News, Jenny Brown, headteacher of the independent City of London School for Girls, said: “We are a school, like many in London, which people travel across London to get to. And for those with long journeys, it has required a lot of careful thought.
“A few have booked Travelodges, some are staying with local friends. I’ve just heard from one pupil who’s going to take four-and-a-half hours for her journey to make sure she gets there for her maths exam in the afternoon.”
Some school leaders have also told Tes that their schools have not faced disruption “at all” due to the strike action, and others have explained how disruption has amounted to just a few pupils arriving at school late.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the union had not received many communications from members on the impact of rail strikes on students and staff, which he said: “tends to suggest that the effect is generally minimal”.
Laura McInerney, the co-founder of Teacher Tapp, highlighted how its most recent data found very few teachers travel to work by train.
Most recent Teacher Tapp data found very few teachers travel to work by train. In London, 17% go by tube/train so with the double strikes it’ll be hard going for some schools today. (Even in London half still drive). pic.twitter.com/Q6pMniw0Wk
- Laura McInerney (@miss_mcinerney) June 21, 2022
The figure was highest in London where 17 per cent of respondents said they commute by tube or train.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We recognise how concerning these strikes will be for students - particularly for those sitting GCSEs and A levels. We know schools and colleges will draw on their existing contingency arrangements already in place to manage any possible disruption.”
The DfE was criticised for telling school leaders to “consider” giving financial support to students who need to use alternative transport to sit exams.
In an email to school leaders yesterday, the DfE said that there may be some students who will “struggle to afford” alternative travel to attend examinations, adding that schools are “best placed” to “prioritise” spending to support students, and “can consider making available funding for students who may require it”.
Sarah Hannafin, senior policy advisor at the NAHT school leaders’ union, described the comments as “simply not true”.
She added: “Schools have not been given the funding to do this. At a time when school budgets are stretched thin, this is simply not a viable suggestion for most.”
Further strike action is planned this week on Thursday, in what is a busy week for A-Level and GCSE exams.
A chemistry A-Level paper and physics GCSE exam are among those due to be sat on Thursday.
Tes has produced a full roundup of the guidance issued to schools if students - or invigilators - are late or miss an exam altogether as a result of the industrial action.
