Pupils ‘dance around buckets’ as ‘water flows’ in the form of Paul McCartney’s sixth LIPA

Sixth-form pupils at Sir Paul McCartney’s performing arts school are “dancing around buckets” as water seeps through the roof, it has been claimed.

A union has said there are leaks, moldy carpets and walls at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts sixth form college which are “putting staff and students at risk”. The National Education Union (NEU) has now announced plans to move to an indicative ballot for potential industrial action at Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts (LIPA) 6th Form College, as well as the associated primary and secondary school.

The union said the schools came under scrutiny because of “inefficient and ineffective” management practices that led to “excessive workloads, unnecessary work-related stress” as well as “serious health and safety failings which could harm staff and students”.

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The indicative vote will take place this week and could lead to a strike in October if concerns are not resolved. The NEU said its representatives had repeatedly tried to engage with the employer on health and safety issues at the facilities.

The LIPA Multi-academy Trust said it was working to address the concerns raised. Bora Oktas, the union’s regional officer, detailed some of the issues and their impact on staff and students.

He said: “There are serious failings in health and safety at both primary and secondary level as well as LIPA’s sixth form college. The imminent damage to staff and students cannot be overstated. Our workplace representatives and branch officers made several attempts. to engage without any result with the employer.”

He added: “The issues are massive: not having a caretaker/security raises safety issues. Leaky roofs force students to dance around buckets, and moldy carpets and walls pose risks to both staff and students, potentially leading to respiratory illness.

“Staff are being diverted from their roles to supervise contractors without DBS checks which should be the carer’s responsibility. As a result, in recent months health and safety concerns and poor IT services have led to school closures, early dismissals and extended term times, impacting on education and increasing safeguarding concerns, despite our repeated attempts to cooperate, the employer failed to listen.

Karen Copsey, joint assistant secretary of the Liverpool NEU branch added: “LIPA has refused to recognize the unions. This means we cannot sit with the employer to resolve issues on behalf of our members. NEU calls on LIPA management to reconsider their position and engage in constructive discussions with unions before anyone gets hurt.”

The sixth form is on the same campus as LIPA, the performing arts institute founded by Sir Paul McCartney.

LIPA Primary and Secondary School opened in September 2014 in Upper Duke Street and falls under the umbrella of the original performing arts academy. The sixth form then opened in 2016.

An inspection at LIPA Primary and High School was carried out on March 12 and 13 this year. The visit resulted in the school being downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’.

A spokesman for the LIPA Multi-academy Trust said: “We are already working to address the concerns raised and are confident that any outstanding matters will be resolved promptly.”

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