A concerned mother has spoken out about the toll recent school strikes are taking on her children’s education. Faye Allen’s son and daughter are among thousands of students across the Midlands affected by industrial action driven by the threat of over 100 teacher and support staff redundancies.
The dispute centers on financial difficulties faced by the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), which oversees 24 schools across Birmingham, Coventry, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire. Following nine strike days this month, National Education Union (NEU) members have planned a further nine strikes next month.
Faye’s children attend St Michael’s Primary in Lichfield, one of 20 Midlands schools involved in the strike action. She described the impact on her family as “awful,” highlighting how the disruption is causing her children to miss vital classroom time.
“As parents, we support teachers’ reasons for striking, but the long-term impact on our children’s education is devastating,” Faye said. “By the end of this term, my eldest will have only attended school for 12 days while facing 18 strike days, and my son will have been in for just 14 days against 16 strike days.”
She expressed particular concern for pupils in critical years such as Year 6, where consistent learning is crucial. The continuing strikes have forced Faye to rely heavily on help from grandparents, friends, and after-school clubs to care for her children while she and her partner work.
“My children don’t understand why they aren’t in school or why they can’t see their friends,” she added. “While home-learning has been assigned for Years 1 to 6, it can’t replace the invaluable teaching happening in classrooms.”
The NEU has criticized the ATLP’s financial management, attributing the strike to “financial mistakes” that have led to proposals for substantial job cuts. The union warns that these redundancies will worsen education quality by increasing class sizes, adding to staff workloads, and reducing support for students.
A significant concern is the ATLP’s central spending, known as the ‘top slice’—the portion of each student’s funding allocated to running central services. The NEU points out that while academies typically allocate around 5% to central costs, ATLP’s top slice has approached 28%.
In response, ATLP emphasized its commitment to restoring financial stability and maintaining high education standards. A spokeswoman stated, “We are taking difficult but necessary decisions to address these financial challenges, exploring savings in every area to ensure the trust and schools can continue to serve pupils and families effectively.”