Pupils to be taught by teacher 300 miles away

Some pupils at a secondary school in Lancashire are to be taught maths by a teacher based 300 miles away in Devon.

The Valley Leadership Academy in Bacup will roll out the remote lessons from September for top set students in years 9-11.

Parents were advised in a letter of the "exciting initiative" which said the exceptional "virtual" teacher would be supported in the classroom by another qualified teacher experienced in maths.

The Valley Leadership Academy said the "carefully considered initiative" was being used due to recruitment challenges and was about "raising standards and expanding access to excellent teaching". The National Education Union (NEU) said it planned to oppose the move.

The union said it was concerned that a teaching assistant would be used in the classroom.

But the school in Fearns Moss clarified the second adult in the classroom, who will "provide learning, behavioural, and pastoral support", will be a qualified teacher and the model was built on "a deep commitment to doing what's right for young people".

A spokesperson said the academy, which is part of the Star Academies trust, was "working closely with professional associations to provide clarity and reassurance around its virtual teacher programme".

The NEU said an indicative ballot of members who attended a meeting on Monday showed unanimous support for strike action over the matter, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

In her letter to parents, executive principal Colette Roberts said the new set-up was "an exciting initiative and a significant investment that looks to combine the benefits of edtech and virtual learning with quality support in the classroom".

She explained pupils would use "a special laptop and headset to take part in the lessons".

However, NEU Lancashire branch secretary Ian Watkinson branded the idea of permanent digital lessons "dystopian" and said they would deny young people the "pastoral support" they needed.

"You just can't dynamically respond as a teacher if you're on a screen in Devon," he said.

He described the approach as "dumbing down, cutting corners" and "not fair on the children", adding that if another qualified teacher was present it would not make economic sense.

The academy said the virtual teacher model did cost more than traditional staffing but it had "chosen to invest" in it because it believed "every young person deserves access to the very best teaching, regardless of where they live".

A Valley Leadership Academy spokeswoman added: "This is a carefully considered, small-scale initiative used only in exceptional circumstances - where recruitment challenges make it difficult to secure the high-quality, subject-specific teaching our pupils deserve.

"Outstanding, fully qualified teachers deliver live, interactive lessons remotely, supported by a second adult in the classroom who provides learning, behavioural, and pastoral support."

She said the initiative was about "raising standards and expanding access to excellent teaching - particularly in communities that have historically faced disadvantage", adding that it also enabled the retention of "exceptional teachers who might otherwise leave the profession due to personal or family circumstances".

Mr Watkinson said any strike action would require a formal vote of NEU and any other union members and would be a "last resort".