On Friday 18th March, members of Solfed informed parents of Dartford Primary Academy, part of the Leigh Academies Trust, about the ongoing campaign to get Lydia’s wages back. Lydia worked for Kinder Sports, who are contracted by Leigh Academies Trust to provide Physical Education lessons and after school sports coaching. Lydia worked for Kinder Sports for 30 hours between 6th and 30th of October 2015 (including at Dartford Primary Academy) however she has not been paid for this work. We are supporting Lydia in demanding Kinder Sports pay her the full £360 she is owed.

Kinder Sports has recently been dropped as sports coaching provider for two other schools in the area and more may follow as outsourcing of sports coaching comes under question and this campaign continues. With the government’s plans to turn every school into an Academy drawing increasing scrutiny of the model, opponents of Academies can look to Kinder Sports for an example of what the outsourcing culture can lead to.

Matt Longhurst of Kinder Sports had agreed to pay Lydia her wages following communications blockades but failed to follow through. We will continue the campaign until Lydia is paid what she is owed.