The Governing Board consulted staff and their union representatives to hear their views.

School leaders discussed the issues with school, local and regional representatives of the National Education Union (NEU), the union with largest membership in school:

• Read more about the NEU's view about class sizes: NEU, Class sizes

• "The NEU national position is to oppose parental contributions as part of a solution to the government’s inadequate funding of all schools; it is no solution in many areas not just deprived areas, and legitimises the government’s education spending cuts. It also extenuates the growing educational outcomes between children from affluent backgrounds compared to poorer ones. Nonetheless, neither do our members at Fielding Primary School want to be made redundant, all stakeholders will sympathise and understand this. The NEU acknowledges that parental contributions at Fielding will be a key factor in avoiding redundancies for the foreseeable future.  

The real solution is to unite; schools, staff and parents in a campaign that compels this Government to properly fund all our schools." Stefan Simms, Ealing District Secretary

• Find out about the NEU's school funding campaign: NEU, Funding campaign

School staff understand and mostly support our plans. Individual comments and experience helped guide our decision making, especially about the size of classes.