Fury as UK secondary school pupils 'taught maths by teacher 300 miles away'

Top pupils at a secondary school in north-west England are to be taught maths by a teacher 300 miles away ... down in Devon. The Valley Leadership Academy, in Bacup, Lancashire, said it will roll out the remote lessons from September for their top set students in years 9-11.

But explaining the huge distance between the teacher and the classroom - necessitating the lessons being virtual - the school stressed normal "recruitment has proven difficult" yet they were still getting an exceptional member of staff. Parents were advised in a letter of the "exciting initiative" which aimed to ease concerns by stressing the "virtual" teacher would be supported physically in the classroom by another qualified teacher experienced in maths.

The Valley Leadership Academy said the "carefully considered initiative" was being used due to recruitment challenges and was about "raising standards and expanding access to excellent teaching".

However, the National Education Union (NEU) said it planned to oppose the move claiming they were concerned that a teaching assistant would be used in the classroom.

But the school in Fearns Moss clarified the second adult in the classroom, who will "provide learning, behavioural, and pastoral support", will be a qualified teacher and the model was built on "a deep commitment to doing what's right for young people".

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".

Ms Roberts said children at the 600-pupil Fearns Moss school, part of the Star Academies Trust, will use "a special laptop and headset to take part in the lessons".

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, with "a track record of securing good grades".

But the NEU plans to oppose the move regardless of the status of the person physically present in the room, and an indicative ballot of union members who attended a meeting on Monday showed unanimous support for strike action over the matter.

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."

Mr Watkinson said any strike action would require a formal vote of NEU and any other union members and 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."

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 the emergency cross-union meeting held on Monday.

A spokesperson said the academy, which is part of the Star Academies trust, was "working closely with professional associations to provide clarity and reassurance around its virtual teacher programme".

The academy also stressed the virtual teacher model did cost more than traditional staffing but it had "chosen to invest" in it because it believed "every young person deserves access to the very best teaching, regardless of where they live".

The Valley Leadership Academy was previously known as Fearns Community Sports College until it acquired academy status in 2019.

The school 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.

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."