A strike ballot of teachers working at Nottingham Girls' High School has shown overwhelming support of strike action in an ongoing row over pensions.
The high school in Nottingham is part of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) group of independent schools, of which there are 23 across the country.
And 95 per cent of all National Education Union (NEU) teachers in the Trust voted in favour of strike action because of the employer's plan to withdraw from the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), which had a turnout of 84 per cent.
As of December 2021, 71 per cent of all teachers across the 23 GDST schools in the country are NEU members.
Nottinghamshire Live is told the vast majority of teachers at Nottingham Girls' High School are members of the NEU, and the percentage of members who voted in favour could be higher than the 95 per cent mark there.
Members were asked in a formal independent postal ballot if they were prepared to take part in sustained and discontinuous strike action in furtherance of the dispute.
If the proposed strike action goes ahead, it will be for the first time in the high school's 149 year history.
Una O’Brien, regional secretary of the NEU, said: "Teachers at Nottingham Girls' High School work very hard and have achieved excellent outcomes for the girls at the school.
"They were shocked to find that the Girls' Day School Trust intends to decimate their pensions.
"They are concerned that not only is this unfair but that it will make the school a less desirable place to work with valued staff leaving to join other local schools that aren’t attacking their staff terms and conditions."
Potential dates for strike action are yet to be decided.
NEU claims financial accounts for the Trust, in the public domain, show finances in good health, and that the pension scheme is affordable.
Sheena Wheatley, district secretary of Nottingham NEU said: "The excellent ballot turnout and overwhelming vote for action is unprecedented in the school's history.
"To threaten staff with fire and rehire is a terrible breach of trust for staff who are so dedicated to the school and it’s pupils."
Cheryl Giovannoni, CEO of Girls' Day School Trust, said: "The ballot result shows the strength of feeling we know exists among our teachers who are NEU members in respect of the proposed changes to teachers’ pensions.
"We are of course disappointed with the result, but our priority is to continue working closely with our schools to ensure our students are able to continue learning effectively during this time.
"Our collective consultation period with the NEU ends on Friday, January 28.
"The GDST Trustees will then consider all the feedback received from teachers before making a final decision in the last week of February. We urge the NEU not to call for strike action before any decisions are made, or any further proposals are put forward.
"The decision to begin collective consultation was reluctantly reached by the GDST Trustees following a 43 per cent increase in employer contributions to the TPS imposed by the government in 2019.
"Since this time, the GDST has been grappling with an increase in employer contributions from 16.48 per cent to 23.68 per cent of teachers’ salaries (an extra cost of £6m each year).
"The government has covered this rise in the maintained sector, including our two academies, but independent schools must deal with this additional burden on their own.
"As a result, over 280 independent schools have already left the TPS.
"Many more are planning to leave or are in consultation with their teachers about changes.
"Teachers are central to the success of the GDST and we value their incredible contribution and dedication to the education of girls in our family of schools.
"We have put forward these proposals in response to the challenges we face to control costs and are committed to providing our teachers with a strong alternative pension scheme, with a 20 per cent employer contribution into a flexible, defined contribution pension plan alongside other benefits.
"We would not have put forward these proposals unless we felt they were necessary to support the long-term sustainability of the GDST family of schools, enabling us to continue to provide an excellent and affordable education for girls in our schools and at the same time ensuring our teachers have a comfortable retirement. "
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