Pupils at an East Lancashire secondary school are to be taught maths ‘virtually’ by a teacher based 180 miles away in Devon, it is understood.
The Valley Leadership Academy in Bacup will roll out the remote arrangement from September for some of its top set students in Years 9 to 11.
Parents were advised of the change and the identity of the teacher in a letter late last week, and it has since been established the location from which the long-distance lessons will originate.
The 600-pupil school, part of the Star Academies Trust, says the ‘virtual teacher’, as the individual is being described, will be supported in the classroom by another qualified teacher experienced in maths.
However, the National Education Union (NEU) says it has received no such reassurance, and is concerned a teaching assistant will instead be used as the only source of in-person help for students and to manage their behaviour.
The union plans to oppose the move regardless of the status of the person physically present in the room, and it can be revealed an indicative ballot of NEU members who attended a meeting on Monday afternoon showed unanimous support for strike action over the matter.
In her letter to parents, executive principal Colette Roberts promoted the new set-up as “an exciting initiative and a significant investment that looks to combine the benefits of 'edtech' and virtual learning with quality support in the classroom”.
She explains pupils at the Fearns Moss school will use “a special laptop and headset to take part in the lessons”.
However, NEU Lancashire branch secretary Ian Watkinson branded the idea of permanent digital lessons “dystopian” and said they will deny young people the “pastoral support” they need.
He said: “You just can’t dynamically respond as a teacher if you’re on a screen in Devon.
"How on earth can you properly engage and bounce off and give feedback to the kids? You might as well just record a video.
“It will have a detrimental impact on the pupils’ quality of learning and the support they get, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
"There will also be a lack of relationship-building between the teacher and students.
“This is a direct attack on educators which has nothing to do with enhancing children’s learning experiences.
"It’s dumbing down, cutting corners, and is the thin end of the wedge."
He also said if the school makes good on its pledge to have a qualified teacher present physically, as well as virtually, then the arrangement will not make any sense in economic terms either.
However, the NEU says the school did not make that commitment during an emergency cross-union meeting held on Monday.
In a statement, a spokesperson for The Valley Leadership Academy said: “We are working closely with professional associations to provide clarity and reassurance around the deployment of a virtual teacher to teach maths to three classes at The Valley.
“This is a targeted, very small-scale approach used in exceptional cases to ensure students receive teaching from a talented and experienced teacher, particularly where recruitment has proven difficult.
“There is one virtual teacher at The Valley, starting in September, and there will be only one.
“Outstanding teachers deliver lessons remotely, supported by a qualified adult in the classroom who facilitates learning and pastoral care. At The Valley Leadership Academy, this adult is a qualified teacher.
“This initiative broadens access to high-quality teaching for students in the schools that need it most, while offering valued flexibility to a teacher who might otherwise leave the profession.”
The letter to parents identifies the person appointed as The Valley’s new virtual teacher as someone currently teaching GCSE and A-Level maths at another secondary school in Rossendale, who is described as having “a track record of securing good grades”.
While the correspondence does not state where she will be based, the NEU said the teacher will be moving to Devon for the role.
When approached for confirmation of the location, The Valley Leadership Academy said the virtual teacher would be “based remotely, as stated”.
Ian Watkinson says any strike action – which would require a formal vote of NEU and any other union members – would be a “last resort, which none of us wants”.
He added: “But this shows how strongly staff understandably feel about this issue.
"This can’t be allowed to creep in across Star Academies or, indeed, any other academy trust or local authority, because it’s just not fair on the children."
The Valley Leadership Academy was previously known as Fearns Community Sports College until it acquired academy status in 2019.
The Valley Leadership Academy says pupils will be able to speak to their virtual maths teacher during lessons and ask questions; show their work to her and receive feedback; and complete all activities in the lessons.
The virtual teacher will dial in remotely to join parents’ evenings and will also be available to call parents during the course of the year should the need arise.
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