THE parent of a pupil with additional needs has criticised the South Bank Multi Academy Trust’s plans to change the contracts for Teaching Assistants and effectively slash their pay as 'appalling' and 'abhorrent'.

In a letter to The Press published in full today the parent, who does not want their child to be identified, said: "As a parent of a child with additional needs, I have witnessed the care, expertise and dedication shown by TAs at one of the schools named. Their work is already undervalued, but to make the proposed changes is effectively forcing their resignations and is abhorrent.

"TAs often go above and beyond to help some of the most vulnerable students struggling with learning, physical and mental health needs navigate their education and the world. They and the students they care for deserve so much more.

"It will be heartbreaking for my child if any of their hard-won relationships with TAs, who they have slowly learned to trust when life has not always been kind to them, are lost through the MAT’s actions forcing staff to leave."

The academy trust, which operates six York schools - Millthorpe, York High, Carr Juniors, Knavesmire, Scarcroft and Woodthorpe - says it is facing 'significant challenges' with its budget due to energy costs and the 'recently agreed unfunded pay increases' negotiated nationally.

It stresses it will honour those pay increases.

But in an effort to balance the books, it is proposing that some staff, such as teaching assistants, who are currently paid for 52 weeks a year should in future be paid only for term-time working.

A group of teaching assistants who contacted The Press last week say this would mean their pay being reduced from about £18,000 a year to about £15,000 a year.

One TA who works at Millthorpe told The Press: "They are ... in effect, not pay(ing) the nationally agreed support staff pay rise and are actively cutting the current salary of some of the lowest paid staff."

Another said: "In the midst of a cost of living crisis the school has targeted these poorly paid and dedicated staff members causing very considerable distress. It also suggests that the education of the trust's most vulnerable SEND students (children with special educational needs and/ or disabilities), who these committed staff support, is a very low priority for the MAT."

The parent who wrote to The Press to express their concern agreed that reducing the pay of TAs suggested the education of students with special or additional needs appeared to be a 'low priority'.

"It is appalling that the MAT (academy trust) thinks this should ever be an option," the parent said.

In a statement to the Press last week, the academy trust insisted SEND students remained a priority.

"(South Bank Multi Academy Trust) are not alone in addressing the issue of paid working weeks and the changes we are consulting on would bring us in line with other schools, local authorities, academies and Trusts nationally," a spokesperson said.

“Support for our children with SEND and those who are vulnerable is unaffected and remains a priority."