93 per cent of school support staff oppose academisation plans

Support staff accuse academy trusts of 'treating education like a business' 

A survey of over 600 school support staff has revealed that 93 per cent of respondents disagree with government plans to move all state schools into multi-academy trusts.

The survey was run by GMB Union, which represents thousands of school support staff and is one of the unions sitting on the newly established School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB).

Among the key findings were:

- 85 per cent of staff working in academy trusts do not feel valued

- 72 per cent say that their wellbeing and working conditions have worsened since joining an academy trust

- 94 per cent of school support staff believe senior leadership pay in academy trusts is too high

A common complaint was that academies are run more like businesses than schools, redirecting funds away from the classroom and undermining children's education and wellbeing.

Respondents also criticised the exorbitant salaries of management, who are often divorced from the day to day running of schools, and the low pay for frontline staff, who are expected to do more with less.

With academisation being viewed so negatively by school support staff, the findings raise questions around the influence of the Confederation of Schools Trusts (CST), an organisation that represents the interests of academy trusts and advocates for the benefits of academisation, on the government and the SSSNB.

Lisa Bangs, GMB Senior Organiser, said:

"School support staff have made their views crystal clear: academisation has left them overworked and undervalued and they do not agree with the government's plans for all schools to become academies.

"Questions must be asked about why the government is planning to mandate academisation, and the role and influence of the CST."

"Whilst the CST is in favour of high salaries for chief executives, it does not understand the experience or concerns of support staff, and it is the views of those frontline staff who work closely with pupils that should be listened to.”