'We feel let down' - Striking staff defeated as academy plans for Walsall special school go ahead

Governors at Elmwood School on King George Crescent, Rushall, met on June 12 and unanimously decided to join the Matrix Academy Trust.

Since March this year, nearly two-thirds of the workforce have resorted to industrial action as they felt they were being left in the dark over the plans.

For the 47 days that they have been striking, they have staged a protest either outside the school, in Walsall town centre or outside Matrix offices.

Backed by the National Education Union (NEU), staff have called for transparency around business plans and assurance that funding for each child will remain the same.

NEU spokesperson, Matthew Raine, said if the transfer goes ahead it would ‘result in a loss of £700 worth of funding per pupil’.

Walsall Council, which currently maintains the school, said it ‘does not recognise’ this figure.

Senior salaries at the Matrix Academy Trust have been a cause for concern for the striking staff.

The most recent salary data from the financial year of 2023/24 states 13 staff members were paid between £80,000 and £150,000, excluding pension contributions.

Matrix said the trust’s ‘top slice’ is in line with other academy trusts.

Staff protesting ahead of the meeting on June 12, said they have exhausted every avenue to have some sort of transparency around the future of the school once it becomes an academy.

They have reached out to MPs Wendy Morton and Valerie Vaz, they have had a local councillor submit a notice of motion for transparency at Walsall Council – which was rejected, and they have submitted a petition with over 2,000 signatures against the plans.

A teacher at the protest said: “It’s very emotional, we’ve tried so hard to get people to see that this academy is not a good fit for this school. We didn’t need to go into academisation, there’s nothing to be gained from it. The only gain to be had is for personal gain.

“We feel let down by the governors, we feel let down by the senior leadership team, we feel let down by the local authority. Everybody seems so willing to wash their hands of this place and our voices don’t seem to have been heard.

“We know our children. This academy has no SEN (special educational needs) specialism, they have no idea what these kids need. 

"It’s just so obviously such a mismatch - it’s not a good fit at all. Especially when there are academies out there which are SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) specialisms. It’s like they’ve not looked at anything else.”

Another teacher added: “We’ve not seen any business plans. There’s been no genuine attempt at communication. I know it can be daunting to talk to us but that would have been lovely if they could have spoken to us and addressed our legitimate fears.

“We’re really sad that Elmwood children are going to have decisions made about their education by people who work in offices in Walsall, rather than people who work in the building. Everyone is anxious about what lies ahead but we’re really happy to go back to work and be back with the kids and do what we enjoy.”

Matthew Raine said: “I’m really proud of all the staff at Elmwood who have stood up for themselves. But above all I’m proud of them for standing up for the children at Elmwood, putting their special needs children first.

“Children with special needs are vulnerable kids and they deserve to be put first and foremost and not have their school taken over by a massive corporate chain. One that has never run a special needs school ever in its history and has no expertise in running special educational needs schools.

“We are absolutely committed to working with parents and staff for the best interests for the children at Elmwood.”

A spokesperson for Elmwood School’s board of governors said: “We believe this decision is the best outcome for the school’s future and will provide the best outcomes for Elmwood’s pupils, present and future.

“The views of the school community are highly valuable to us, and we have coordinated meaningful, open, and transparent consultation throughout the process.

“We have made ourselves accessible to the school community to discuss any of their concerns, arranged individual conversations with all parents, carers, and staff, and provided regular updates through the school’s usual communications. In addition to this, Walsall Council have supported us by facilitating an anonymous survey, which 80 per cent of staff responded to.

“We await updates from the NEU about their intentions to strike during July 2025 and will inform our school community as soon as we can.

“There’s no denying that this has been a difficult period for us as a school and I want to extend our appreciation to the school community who have shown a great deal of patience and understanding throughout. We hope this decision will provide a stable future for Elmwood school.”

Councillor Mark Statham, portfolio holder for education and skills at Walsall Council, said: “We respect the governing body’s decision and will now work with them to deliver a smooth transition ready for the start of the next academic year.

“Education should not be impacted by industrial action, and the council has worked constructively with Elmwood School and parents to limit academic interruptions. We want to thank the families of Elmwood School for their cooperation during this time and hope this decision can bring back some consistency to pupil’s time at school.”

CEO of the Matrix Trust, Lynsey Draycott, said: “After many years of us working together on an informal basis, we are so excited to have Elmwood joining the Matrix family officially.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment to always ensuring Elmwood pupils have the best possible experience of school. It’s always about the kids for us too, and I know you have chosen Matrix because you know we are equally determined to secure an exceptional education for every single individual pupil.

“Elmwood is a very special place and we will only ever seek to enhance its uniqueness, while giving pupils and staff access to opportunities they may not have otherwise had.”

The school will now work with The Matrix Trust, Walsall Council, and the Department for Education to secure a conversion date for September 1, 2025.