Batley school staff face losing their jobs

Support staff at Batley Parish C of E Junior, Infants and Nursery School have been told they face having to reapply for their roles and that there will be job losses.

Labour MP for Batley and Spen Tracy Brabin has slammed the position the school is in and has written to the Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds demanding an urgent meeting with its head teacher.

In her letter, she says the school expects to make a significant proportion of its teaching assistants part-time or redundant.

“Batley Parish has been forced into making impossible choices to make ends meet after years of real terms cuts to its budget,” she said.

“Now this is going to have a direct impact on teachers, support staff, children and their families.

“And this is not limited to Batley Parish, indeed almost every school I visit tells me that cuts are having a dramatic impact.

“I have raised this with the government on many occasions since I’ve been an MP, but they continue to bury their heads in the sand.

“That’s why I’m calling on the Education Secretary to meet with the school’s headteacher so he can hear first-hand exactly how dire the situation has now become.

“Our brilliant schools, teachers and staff who work incredibly hard for our children must have the resources and support needed to do their jobs.

“The government needs to face facts and address this funding crisis before any more damage is done.”

She said since 2015, schools across Batley and Spen have seen a real-terms funding shortfall of over £5 million.

Head teacher at Batley Parish C of E Junior, Infants and Nursery School Phil Sunter said: “The failure to adequately fund schools is a national scandal.

“I am fortunate to work alongside incredibly dedicated, talented and inspirational colleagues who go the extra mile for the children they work with.

“To be in a situation where their livelihoods are at risk is an unfair reward for the commitment they display.”