Family & Education
Lubavitch school 'not Covid-compliant,' staff say
Teachers voice concern in anonymous letter sent to trustees
October 2, 2020 14:34
Teachers voice concern in anonymous letter sent to trustees
October 2, 2020 14:34Staff working for schools run by the Lubavitch Multi-Academy Trust have complained to the trustees over conditions, saying there is insufficient cleaning to meet the threat of coronavirus.
They claim that staff have been expected to pay for “essentials” such as electronic wipes and even bread or cutlery for the children.
Other concerns were also raised in the anonymous letter which was sent to the trustees and said to represent the three state-aided schools under the auspices of the Lubavitch MAT – the Senior Girls, Junior Girls and Junior Boys in Stamford Hill.
Earlier this year the MAT was warned about the state of its finances by the body which funds academies and told to clear the £1.5 million deficit it had run up last year.
The letter claimed the school was “not Covid compliant” – saying there was no cleaning during the school day apart from door handles and the “volume and efficacy” of some rersources such as wipes for keyboards and computers was limited.
A teacher said this referred to the building where the senior and junior girls’ schools were housed.
The letter said no phones were currently working in the building, staff did not have internet access to send emails and computer networks were not working.
It also referred to “the expectation that staff have to pay for essentials, such as electronic wipes, cleaning sprays for the bathrooms, bread for the children, cutlery, paper to mention a few.”
One staff member was said to have spent over £500 of their own money on resources.
It claimed that morale was at “all-time low”.
In response to the staff letter, a statement issued on behalf of the trustees said they had “noted the points made in the anonymous letter.
“Many of these are day-to-day operational issues which are being addressed by the headteachers in the schools.
“While trustees understand the pressures on the budget are providing challenges for staff, as the regional schools commissioner has recently reminded us, we have a legal duty to ensure the trust remains financially viable."
Trustees would "continue to work with staff to find constructive solutions to the challenges we face," the statement said.
Discontented parents of pupils last month wrote to the Department for Education to express fears that the religious ethos of the MAT schools was being diluted.
In response, the Regional Schools Commissioner for East England and North-East London wrote to the trust, acknowledging improvements but saying that it needed to secure parental support.
