Talks are ongoing in an attempt to resolve the dispute
05:00, 05 Sep 2025Updated 09:35, 05 Sep 2025
The picket line outside Hanham Woods Academy on September 3(Image: NEU)
A school near Bristol could be hit by more industrial action after some teachers spent the first day of term on strike. A “minority” of staff formed a picket line outside Hanham Woods Academy on Wednesday (September 4) as the new academic year began.
Leaders of the 900-pupil capacity secondary school in Hanham, South Gloucestershire, are due to enter more talks with the National Education Union (NEU) today (Friday) in hope of resolving complaints about teacher workload, financial priorities, changes to subject timetables and behaviour policy.
Unless an agreement is struck, members have threatened to walk out on five more days this month, including next Tuesday and Wednesday (September 9 and 10) and three days the following week. NEU members say they are concerned that recent changes at the school “will have a negative impact on teaching and learning for pupils”.
Ted Powell, a regional officer for the National Education Union, said: “Whilst progress has been made in our negotiations with the school so far over changes to the school behaviour policy, members still want to see changes reversed to the school timetable that resulted in subjects such as IT, social science, languages and PE having the number of their lessons cut.
“Members want these reversed to ensure high quality education for local children. The union is meeting with the employer on Friday (September 5) in an attempt to resolve the dispute.”
The union has also called for more transparency in the school finances, and “include trapped time in the school’s directed time calendar for staff”. Trapped time refers to the period between the end of the school day and a scheduled meeting later in the day, when teachers have no time to leave and return so end up spending more time at their workplace.
Further action by NEU members is planned for September 9, 10, 16, 17 and 18, with picket lines expected to be outside the school from 7.30am until 9am each day. Another union, the NASUWT, is currently also balloting for potential strike action at the same school.
Hanham Woods is part of the Cabot Learning Federation, a multi-academy trust that oversees more than 30 schools in the Bristol area. By law, multi-academy trusts have to publish their accounts online, but the union has called for the school to “open the books” even more to justify certain financial decisions.
A spokesperson for Hanham Woods Academy said: “A minority of staff at Hanham Woods Academy are participating in National Education Union strikes as part of a dispute over their employment terms. These relate to changes to school policy, budget decisions and teacher workload.
“Extensive efforts have been made to meet the union demands and full agreement was reached on the majority of issues within 36 hours of the start of term. We believe resolution is near in the outstanding areas and are therefore disappointed that the NEU has once again chosen to take strike action, rather than to continue to engage in constructive discussion.
“Despite the NEU action, Hanham Woods Academy has maintained a full programme for all year groups, and continues to be a vibrant, diverse and dynamic learning environment for all students.”