March 07, 2026 - 222 views
Teachers at a North Wales secondary school are set to stage strike action amid a dispute with senior leaders over workload and working conditions.
Members of the NASUWT at Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan are due to walk out on Monday (March 9), with the school expected to be partially closed as a result.
The union says the dispute centres on what it claims is a culture of intimidation within the school and the impact of a recent management restructure, which it claims has increased workloads for teaching staff. According to the union, some management posts were removed during the restructure but the work associated with those roles remained, leaving teachers under greater pressure.
Matt Wrack, general secretary of NASUWT, said teachers felt they were being subjected to a workplace culture where raising concerns had led to further difficulties rather than solutions. He claimed classroom observations were being used inappropriately and said staff felt they were working in an environment that was not supportive.
Neil Butler, the union’s national official for Wales, said morale at the school had been badly affected and that some teachers felt unable to raise concerns freely. He added that the union had attempted to resolve the issues through discussions with the school before deciding to proceed with industrial action.
School leaders have rejected the suggestion that staff have been victimised. Headteacher Matt Wildsmith said the school had not received formal complaints of bullying or intimidation through the procedures that schools are required to have in place. In communication with parents, the headteacher also made clear the school was disappointed that some staff had chosen to take strike action.
Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan, which serves Abergele and surrounding communities in Conwy county, is expected to remain open for some pupils on Monday, although lessons may be disrupted.
Industrial disputes involving teachers are not uncommon in Wales, although they more often centre on national issues such as pay and workload. In recent years, members of teaching unions including NASUWT and National Education Union have taken strike action across Wales over pay and funding.
Localised disputes involving individual schools have also occurred from time to time, typically relating to workplace conditions, leadership concerns or restructuring changes.
NASUWT says it believes further talks with the school’s leadership team and governors are needed to resolve the current dispute. The union says its members want assurances that they will be able to raise concerns about their work without fear of repercussions.
School leaders, meanwhile, have indicated they remain committed to maintaining normal education for pupils as far as possible while the dispute continues.
