A parent at Venturers’ Academy, a specialist school for autistic pupils, is urging staff and management to work together to avoid further upheaval for vulnerable children.
Members of the National Education Union at Venturers’ and six other schools managed by the E-ACT multi-academy trust are set to stage a five-day strike in September over a dispute regarding backpay for support staff. They follow similar industrial action taken in June and July.
Charlotte Brine, whose 9-year-old autistic daughter Ellie-Rae attends Venturers’ — which has sites in Withywood and Brislington — says the strikes have had a profoundly damaging impact on her child. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter
“Since the disruption caused by the strikes, I have noticed a clear change in her,” Charlotte said. “Her sleep has become much more disturbed than usual.
“She has been having more meltdowns and crying outbursts, and the crying in particular is very unusual for her. As her mum, it is heartbreaking to watch a change in her that I know isn’t normal for her.”, reports Bristol Live.
“One of the hardest things for me to see is when she watches her siblings getting ready for school. She sees them putting on their school uniforms and going to school, and she becomes upset because it feels to her like she is missing out on something.”
The education union maintains that strike action is necessary to secure a fair deal for some of the lowest-paid staff at schools. According to the NEU, a member of staff earning £20,000 has lost out on about £2,000 due to the method used to calculate backpay since E-ACT assumed control of the former Venturers’ Academy schools in 2024.
E-ACT, meanwhile, says it gave staff a pay rise and argues that demands relating to additional historic backpay are unreasonable.
At Venturers’, pupils with complex needs find themselves caught in the middle.
“She [Ellie-Rae] doesn’t understand the wider reasons behind the strikes,” Charlotte said. “She doesn’t understand why her normal school routine has been disrupted. What she sees is that her siblings are going to school while she isn’t, and that can be incredibly difficult for her to process.
“For these children, disruption to routine isn’t simply an inconvenience. Their routines can provide security, predictability and reassurance. When those routines are taken away or repeatedly changed, the impact can be much bigger than simply missing a day of education.”
Numerous workers at the heart of the dispute are forced to take on second, or even third jobs, to support their families, the union stated.
A comparable dispute at the end of 2025 involving support staff working for the Cathedral Schools Trust ended after that trust decided to offer its workers improved terms. Charlotte said she massively respects the job that support staff do and their right to fair wages, and called on both sides to work together to bring an end to the dispute.
“I believe fully paid staff are crucial to our children’s care, and the support staff who dedicate their time to helping and caring for our children absolutely deserve a decent and fair wage,” Charlotte said.
“These are people doing incredibly important work. They should be valued, respected and paid appropriately for the responsibility they carry.
“I hope that everyone involved can come together, listen to one another and find a resolution as quickly as possible. I want fair pay and fair treatment for the people who care for our children.
“But I also want stability and security for the children themselves. Ultimately, our children should not be the ones carrying the emotional cost of an ongoing dispute.”
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