School Staff At Risk Of Redundancy

Classroom support staff at a Market Harborough school have been placed at risk of redundancy.

Ridgeway Primary Academy says it needs to reduce the number of posts and hours available to save money.

Learn Academies Trust, of which the school is a member, says where a school is potentially heading into a financial deficit all possible solutions need to be looked at for the long-term best educational interests of the children.

A consultation has begun with staff affected and their Union.

Full Statement from Learn Academies Trust

Schools set their budgets for the next academic year every April. The budgets are determined by factors such as funding levels, pupil numbers and anticipated outgoings.

This year the budget setting has been even more challenging than usual for Ridgeway Primary.  There is a great deal we are proud of, for example, next term we will be increasing the number of classes and reducing our class sizes.

In close partnership with the governors and headteacher, we are currently consulting with classroom support staff about a small reduction in the number of posts and hours available. We are doing everything we can to handle this situation sensitively.

It is important to stress that this decision is being made with the long-term best educational interests of the children. If we do not respond to changing pupil numbers now, then the school will -face some even more difficult financial difficulties in the future.

In the current financial climate, all schools are having to be very cautious and careful in how they set their budgets and the schools in our Trust are no different.  Where a school is potentially heading into a financial deficit then we will support them to look at all possible solutions.