In a quiet neighborhood in Montpelier, a group gathers outside Bristol Hospital Education Service early in the morning. This school is one of seven in Bristol that provides education to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) outside of mainstream settings. The teachers and support staff at this school are deeply committed to supporting vulnerable young people, many of whom have mental health issues, severe anxiety, self-harming behavior, and low self-esteem.
These young people, aged 11-16, receive specialist support, including one-to-one classroom support and home lessons from dedicated teachers. The job of teaching young people with complex needs can be emotionally draining, and it takes a special kind of teacher to engage them successfully. Some teachers have been working at this school for decades, but recent unease has been growing around working conditions, particularly related to pay.
The National Education Union (NEU) is representing these teachers, who are demanding fair pay for the exceptionally difficult work they do. The central demand is around an extra payment called a ‘SEN allowance,’ which teachers at this school are entitled to but have been systematically underpaid for years. The school’s management initially offered a year’s back pay, but the union discovered that the underpayment has been ongoing for many years, leading to demands for more back pay.
While negotiations are ongoing, the deeper issues in the education sector, particularly in the SEN sector, are also coming to light. Support staff, who are a significant part of the school’s workforce, are not eligible for the SEN allowance, making it challenging for them to survive in an expensive city like Bristol. Additionally, there is a cultural issue in the SEN sector where proper remuneration is often a secondary consideration compared to the rewarding nature of the work.
The teachers and staff at Bristol Hospital Education Service are seeking fair pay, recognition for their hard work, and a resolution to the historic injustice of being systematically underpaid. The union is working to address these issues and ensure that all staff members, including support staff, are fairly compensated for the vital work they do. The fight for fair pay and working conditions continues as discussions and negotiations progress.