St Elizabeth’s School in Belper has educated generations of local young people.
The organisation that runs the school, St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, is currently considering making a significant number of staff redundant at St Elizabeth’s and its other schools.
This is because the trust is reporting serious financial difficulties that have clearly been worsening for some years – despite considerable extra funding it has received from the government.
Understandably, staff and parents are worried about how future workforce reductions could impact children’s education. That is why staff took industrial action this week.
I met with UNISON and the National Education Union about this situation. I have also met with the trust’s chief executive to discuss it.
I want the trust to find a better way forward and retain as many staff as possible on the terms they currently have.
I am also working with other MPs who have St Ralph Sherwin schools in their constituencies, and I will be pursuing this with ministers when parliament reconvenes after the king’s speech.