Jobs are at risk at two Brighton and Hove secondary schools as a consultation starts on a new staffing structure.
If the proposed changes go ahead, 15 posts would be made redundant at the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) with 14 new posts being created – a net reduction of one job.
At the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) three posts will be made redundant and one new role will be created – a net reduction of two jobs.
In addition three new roles are being created by Aldridge Education, the multi-academy trust (MAT) which sponsors both schools. The new posts will each involve working with both schools.
At PACA four full-time and part-time leadership and teaching roles are at risk, along with 11 support and premises roles.
The new roles include one new teaching post, six learning support assistant jobs, three pastoral manager roles and four support services jobs.
At BACA three support staff jobs are at risk and three of the roles being made redundant at the schools will be replaced by equivalent shared roles working for Aldridge Education.
Last night the trust said: “Aldridge Education has announced to staff at meetings today and to their trades unions that they are entering into consultation to make changes to staffing structures to be introduced by September 2017.”
Separate consultations are taking place at the two schools.
Rob Reed, executive principal for Aldridge’s school in the region said: “With media coverage of the financial pressures state schools are under and the recent announcements of similar consultations at other Brighton and Hove secondary and primary schools, parents are increasingly aware of the challenges schools are facing currently.
“Schools also need to adapt staffing to meet the needs of new curriculums being introduced nationally.
“Our aim through this consultation with staff and their representatives is to ensure that BACA and PACA both have balanced budgets, matching income from the government with the costs of staffing and running the school.
“These proposals will help bring about a balanced budget for both schools.
“The ability for the schools in our trust to work together on creating some new shared non-teaching roles means we can do this while maximising the amount of our budget spent on teaching and learning.
“We very much hope that these roles will be filled by current staff from our schools.
“The consultation process will run until the end of term with any support staff redundancies not taking effect until (Thursday) 31 August and, for teaching posts affected, (Sunday) 31 December.
“Our overriding priority is always the welfare and success of our students and this process will not impact students sitting important exams this summer.”
