School staff in jobs bombshell

AROUND 50 staff are facing redundancy as Waterhead Academy tackles a shortfall in the region of £2million.

A fifth of the school’s 250 workers — which includes 115 teachers — are set to lose their jobs because of a reduction in government funding.

Head teacher David Yates met with governors last week to ratify the cuts. He was due to meet with unions and staff today to outline the new staffing structure and start the formal consultation.

Waterhead Academy, which is sponsored by Oldham College, opened in September and replaced Breeze Hill and Counthill Schools.

The Chronicle reported that all staff were called to a meeting with principal David Yates two weeks ago.

At that time, he was still waiting to receive the final funding figure from the Young People’s Learning Agency, the Government quango which funds academies.

But he had wanted to tell staff about the possible job losses, rather than waiting until just before the Easter break.

The academy said that it was not appropriate to comment ahead of today’s staff meeting.

National Union of Teachers branch secretary Tony Harrison said the redundancies were by far the largest number he could remember at an Oldham school. He will meet with his members on Wednesday and said that the academy had also been affected by falling roles.

“Occasionally we hear of six, seven eight redundancies, or maybe up to 10, but nothing on this magnitude,” said Mr Harrison

“It is quite disastrous. There will be mass redundancies.

“People are very depressed and they are feeling very anxious.

“We have always said that funding for academies isn’t the panacea that schools wanting to become academies claim.

“There is no guarantee of continuing extra funding when you have become an academy.”




The National Union of Teachers is holding a meeting for parents about Crompton Houses’ plans to become an academy.



It takes place at St Paul’s Methodist Church, Rochdale Road, Shaw at 7pm on April 7.