Dear <<First Name>>,

On 5th July, we will be striking to protect school funding. Thank you to all those who have already contacted us to say they will be striking and to headteachers who have confirmed that their schools will be closed. You can register your support for the strike here:

I support striking teachers.

On the day, we want to show the strength of feeling over school funding cuts and the impact they are having on class sizes and teacher workload, and also to discuss the campaign going forward. We are therefore asking all members to assemble from 11am at Wesley Memorial Hall on New Inn Hall Street, Oxford for a meeting, followed by a march and rally in central Oxford. We aim to finish mid-afternoon to allow those travelling a distance to get home. These events will be family friendly and we would encourage you to bring family and friends on the march and rally in particular.

We also want to use the day to highlight the impact of the Exam Factories culture the government is forcing on our schools, both through funding cuts and through over-testing of our young people. We will therefore be organising community events in the morning in East Oxford, West Oxford and South Oxford. If you would be willing to help out with creative activities (including samba and banner-making) or to speak to parents about our concerns at one of these events, or if would like to arrange an event in your own area, please get in touch with Gawain on g.little@executive.nut.org.uk.

General Meeting Moved

We have also decided to use our upcoming General Meeting this Friday as a planning meeting for the strike day and have moved it to a more central location for the county. The meeting will now take place from 5.30pm to 7pm at The Jam Factory on Hollybush Row, Oxford. This venue is very close to Oxford Train Station and to a number of bus routes for those coming in from outside Oxford. If you want to help out with preparations for the day or want some help organising in your school or local area, come along and join us. You can register your attendance by clicking here.

We want to make this strike as successful as possible as the start of a comprehensive campaign to protect school funding and terms and conditions for all teachers, regardless of what type of school they work in. Please support us on the day.

I support striking teachers.

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.

Best wishes,
Sarah Carter
Secretary

What if I can't afford to strike?

Given the threat to pay scales and progression, job security, sick pay and maternity pay, we think the real question is whether you can afford not to strike but we do appreciate that people will have individual circumstances which make taking strike action difficult for them financially. That is why we maintain a local hardship fund to support any member who would not be able to take strike action for financial reasons. If you would like to make an application to the fund, the form will soon be available via our website. If you would like to make a donation to the fund, please contact our Treasurer Donald on donaldmcewan@hotmail.com.

Do I need to tell my headteacher whether I am striking?

We write to every school to inform them how many NUT members are being called on to take strike action. Beyond this, there is no legal obligation to pass further information to your headteacher. You cannot be asked as an individual to confirm to your headteacher whether or not you will be supporting the strike. If you are put under any pressure by school management to make a decision, you should contact us immediately. However, some school groups choose to give their headteacher the numbers, though not names, of teachers who have confirmed they will be on strike, in the understanding that this helps the headteacher to take an early decision to close the school for the day. You should speak to your colleagues and get in touch if you would like any advice. We have already had a number of schools who have confirmed to parents that they will be closed.

#ThisSchool - The NUT Choir singing for our schools.