Schools disrupted as support staff strike over pay

A dozen schools are facing disruption as support staff walk out in a dispute over pay.

Employees at 12 schools managed by the Cathedral Schools Trust across Bristol and North Somerset began a two-day strike on Wednesday after their annual pay increases were withheld for five months.

The employees said the delay - which was only resolved in April - had left them short of thousands of pounds over the last five years.

A spokesperson for the trust said: "We are continuing to work proactively with the unions to resolve this as soon as possible, and our focus remains on supporting our schools to minimise disruption and maintain the best possible learning experience for our pupils and families."

Some schools were partially closed or fully closed as teaching assistants, administrators, librarians, finance officers, caretakers, and caterers took to picket lines.

Steve Brice, a teaching assistant at St Werburgh's Primary School in Bristol, was among them.

He said staff were being treated "unreasonably and unfairly" by the trust.

"We didn't want to be striking at all, but the response we were getting from the CEO and the trust was just making this seem inevitable," he said.

He added that he had lost out on roughly £500 a year due to the delayed pay rises.

Sheila Caffrey from the National Education Union said staff wanted to feel "valued" by their employers.

She added: "Our members are extremely upset.

"They feel that they give everything everyday to those children and young people that they support and to feel that they don't get that back from their employer is really hard-hitting and like a slap in the face."

The Cathedral Schools Trust said it had already worked with employees to agree on four of the five issues raised.

A spokesperson added: "We are therefore disappointed that strike action, which was balloted before these agreements were finalised, has still been called.

"To support colleagues, the trust has made significant financial commitments, but we must also protect school budgets to ensure we can continue delivering the high-quality education our young people deserve."