Councillors Philip Massey and Daniel Meredith Attempt to Mitigate Strike Action at St. Cuthberts

Rochdale, Greater Manchester – Two local councillors have intervened in the ongoing industrial dispute at St Cuthbert’s High School, writing to the school’s Catholic academy trust to demand urgent action regarding the deeply concerning impact of the strike on pupils and the wider community.

Councillors Philip Massey and Daniel Meredith, who represent the Balderstone and Kirkholt ward, sent a formal letter to Chris Foley of the school’s related Catholic Trust regarding the industrial action being taken by members of the NASUWT teaching union.

In their correspondence, the councillors outlined a series of serious allegations raised by staff and parents, including issues regarding behaviour management, staff resourcing, assaults on staff and pupils, rising truancy, and significant budget reductions.

A central point of contention highlighted in the letter is the Trust’s. "9 percent top slice". of the school’s budget. The councillors questioned how such a deduction supports the school’s ability to meet pupil needs, particularly as behaviour, attendance, and staffing concerns escalate.

“We remain deeply concerned about the issues raised by staff and the impact this dispute is having on pupils, families, and the wider community”, the letter states.

The councillors also expressed alarm regarding the Trust’s recent handling of the dispute. They noted that further strike action appears likely following the Trust’s decision to implement an immediate restructure in response to the union’s concerns—a move the councillors say, "appears to be intensifying the dispute rather than resolving it".

Allegations of unprofessional conduct were also raised, with the letter citing claims that senior leadership have been subjected to ridicule in public meetings and that staff were asked to rate their performance. The councillors described such practices as, "wholly inappropriate", if accurate, noting they undermine professional dignity and morale.

Furthermore, the letter addressed concerns regarding governance, citing reports that individuals who scrutinise decisions or raise legitimate questions are being removed from governing bodies.

“We have been informed that individuals who scrutinise decisions or raise legitimate questions about the direction of the schools in the Trust are being removed from governing bodies”, the letter reads. “If accurate, this is profoundly troubling... Removing governors for fulfilling their duty to scrutinise decisions undermines confidence in the Trust’s leadership”.

The councillors have requested a response from the Trust explaining how these concerns will be addressed and how a resolution to the dispute can be reached.


School Leadership Response

In a separate development, Mrs E. Keenan, executive headteacher at St Cuthbert’s RC High School, provided an update to parents regarding negotiations.

In a letter sent yesterday, Mrs Keenan stated that talks with NASUWT officials had discussed all 31 concerns raised by the union. She confirmed that more than 90 percent of the union’s negotiation requests have been agreed in principle.

Despite this progress, the dispute remains ongoing. Mrs Keenan noted that the union has indicated it intends to carry out a further nine days of strike action across March and early April while the school awaits a formal response to the proposals.

The situation remains fluid as the community awaits the Trust’s official reply to the councillors' letter.