Announcements

We fully understand the concern raised by parents and carers and provide this statement to set out the Trust’s position. 

Woodfield is a specialist SEND school supporting children with complex needs, and any disruption to education, routine and family life is deeply regrettable. The wellbeing, safety and education of pupils has been at the centre of the Trust’s decision-making throughout this process.

Woodfield’s situation reflects a wider structural funding challenge affecting specialist SEND provision. The school’s costs have risen significantly over time, but the funding mechanisms available to meet those costs have not kept pace. Banding descriptors, which are the mechanism through which per-pupil SEN funding is set, were last updated in 2009. At that point, teacher costs represented approximately 14% of per-pupil funding; they now represent closer to 30%. The gap between what SEND schools receive and what it actually costs to run them has widened every year, and Woodfield is far from alone in facing the consequences.

In Woodfield’s case:

• staffing costs have risen to more than 92% of the school’s income;
• the school reported a net deficit of £372,422 in 2024/25, up from £76,469 the previous year; and
• without intervention, projections indicated a cumulative five-year deficit approaching £1 million.

Before proposing changes to staff contracts, the Trust sought over a sustained period to resolve the position through the funding route, including by seeking increased banding support from the Local Authority. That work did not result in the additional funding needed to make Woodfield financially sustainable.

As trustees of a charitable trust responsible for the long-term future of the school, we cannot allow deficits of this scale to continue indefinitely. Doing so would ultimately place provision for all pupils at risk.

The restructure is therefore not something the Trust has pursued lightly. The Trust believes a reduction in weekly contracted hours for a group of Lead Learning Assistants is the minimum viable change required to restore financial sustainability while preserving the quality and continuity of provision for pupils.

Importantly, the proposed reduction in contracted hours has been deliberately designed to minimise impact on pupils. The reduction is taken from the end of the working day, rather than from direct pupil-facing support during the school day. This was an important part of the Trust’s approach: reducing the number of staff through redundancy or natural wastage would have reduced adult presence across the school day and created greater operational and health and safety risks in a specialist SEND setting.

The Trust has made extensive efforts to reach agreement and avoid industrial action. Over a period of several months, this has included direct engagement with the NEU, external legal advice, a full day of ACAS conciliation, and a materially revised offer. In particular:

• the proposed reduction in weekly contracted hours was reduced from 3.5 hours to 2.5 hours;
• pay protection was extended to February 2027;
• additional benefits were added, including free daily lunch, enhanced overtime arrangements and INSET flexibility;
• redeployment opportunities were made available at a sister school; and
• staff were given time to consider voluntary alternatives.

The Trust also explored alternatives proposed during consultation, including reductions to central Trust costs, savings from leadership and non-class-based staffing, voluntary reductions in hours, redeployment opportunities and other roles within the Trust. Some savings were identified and taken forward where possible, but they were not sufficient to address Woodfield’s underlying financial position or remove the need for the proposed Lead Learning Assistant contract changes.

Despite these efforts, NEU members rejected the revised offer, and the union has notified the Trust of further industrial action. We remain disappointed that agreement has not been possible, but the Trust’s responsibility is now to bring the process to a conclusion in a way that protects the long-term stability of the school.

In terms of provision for children, Woodfield has worked extremely hard to maintain support for pupils during strike days. The school has put alternative arrangements in place, including rotational on-site provision, externally supported activities, educational visits where appropriate, and prioritisation of pupils with the highest levels of need wherever it is safe and practicable to do so. These arrangements cannot fully replace normal education, but they are designed to provide continuity, engagement and respite for pupils and families during an extremely difficult period.

We remain willing to engage constructively with staff and their representatives. However, the Trust cannot withdraw the restructure or agree arrangements that would leave Woodfield in an unsustainable financial position. Our priority is to minimise disruption now and secure the long-term future of the school for the children and families who rely on it.