Dear Parent/carer, 

You may be aware that the National Education Union (NEU) has rejected the Welsh Government pay offer and have resumed industrial action. 

Due to strike action now being taken by the NEU on the 2^nd March 2023 I have undertaken a risk assessment. As a result, and following discussions with the Chair of Governors, we have made the difficult decision to close the school to pupils on that date. This also means that breakfast club provision and extra-curricular activity will also not take place on that day. 

The decision was not taken lightly, staff being absent means we are unable to teach pupils or maintain the correct levels of supervision to keep pupils safe in and around the school. I have informed you as soon as I have been able so that you can make appropriate arrangements for the day. I will contact you immediately should the industrial action be called off. Children should return to school on 3^rd March 2023. 

Further industrial action is planned for 15^th and 16^th March 2023. We will write to you again prior to these dates with a further update. 

You can find a range of activities through our blended learning pages on our school website here: https://www.pennardprimary.co.uk/blended-learning/

The teaching staff and I want to see an end to this period of dispute and a return to normal school life as soon as possible. Teachers are very aware of the impact strike action will have on children, especially at this time; however, the aim is to improve the long-term outcomes for children. The action staff are taking is not just around the issue of pay, but the wider issue of adequate funding for education to ensure the very best for the pupils in our care. Our budget has become tighter each year, and schools, like homes are seeing the impact of inflation in all areas. To combat the problems we have seen in recent years at our school we have tried our best to find other sources of funding, from applying for additional grants, to undertaking additional work to bring in extra income. Many of the improvements you see around the school are due to additional work undertaken by staff and this is not sustainable. We have also relied on income from our pool to support our teaching assistant ratios, again this is not a reliable source of income and cannot be relied upon in the future. 

Cynnes cofion, Ms Hanson 

Headteacher