Tell Bridget to release the STRB
Helena Dollimore Labour MP for Hastings and Rye
Why This Petition Matters
This petition is about protecting the future of education in Hastings and Rye.
Right now, schools in our community are facing:
- Severe underfunding
- Unsafe buildings
- Exhausted staff
- Failing academy chains
- Broken SEND provision
- A government unwilling to act
Labour was elected with a promise of change — but unless our MP speaks up, that change will pass us by.
We’re calling on Helena Dollimore MP to represent the reality on the ground in her constituency:
- Schools losing students because of punitive regimes
- Support staff paid poverty wages
- Teachers burning out
- Families forced to fight for basic SEND support
- Academy CEOs profiting while classrooms crumble
This is a chance to say: enough.
Why should you sign?
- Because if we don’t speak up, nothing will change.
- Because public education is worth defending.
- Because every child deserves a safe, well-funded, inclusive school.
- Because our MP should fight for our schools — not just follow the party line.
Sign the petition. Be part of the pressure. Let’s stand up for education in Hastings and Rye — together.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Helena Dollimore Labour MP for Hastings and Rye
From:
[Your Name]
We, the undersigned, call on Helena Dollimore MP to urgently stand up for schools, staff, and students in Hastings and Rye.
As members, educators, parents, and residents, we are deeply concerned about the state of education in our community—and the lack of urgent action from government, including the Labour Party. We call for immediate action to defend public education.
Who we are:
This petition is initiated by members of the Hastings District National Education Union (NEU), supported by the wider community.
What We’re Calling For:
We ask Helena Dollimore MP to:
• Publicly demand that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson release the STRB report without delay
• Back a fully funded, above-inflation pay award for teachers and support staff
• Speak out about the failures of local multi-academy trusts—especially Ark Alexandra and the collapse of the University of Brighton Academies Trust
• Fight for emergency SEND funding and the cancellation of punitive LA debt
• Demand accountability and inclusion, not culture wars and privatisation
• Restore democratic local control of schools, and support the abolition—not rebranding—of OFSTED.
Why It Matters in Hastings and Rye:
Our schools are under pressure:
• Students are leaving Ark Alexandra in large numbers due to its draconian regime
• The University of Brighton Academies Trust has collapsed, throwing schools and staff into chaos
• SEND provision is broken, families are being forced into tribunals to get basic support
• Support staff are being paid poverty wages, while academy CEOs cash in
• Buildings are crumbling, while funding is still cut in real terms
We do not need more silence—we need leadership.
“If the STRB is not above inflation—and not fully funded—we will act industrially.”
“If there is money for bombs… there should be money for carers, for mental health, and for free school meals.”
– Daniel Kebede, NEU General Secretary