There was 'nearly a 100 per cent turnout' for a teacher strike at Nottingham Girls' High School in an ongoing dispute over pensions, according to a trade union.
Those numbers were not challenged when presented to the school.
National Education Union (NEU) members at Nottingham Girls' High School took action from 7.30am on Thursday (February 10).
They picketed through to 9.30am, and did not teach for the rest of the day.
Some students joined in with picketing when they were dropped off for the day and a number of parents honked their horns in support.
Girls' Day School Trust (GDST), which runs the school, said it tried to cover strike action as best it could with the resources available, and that missed lessons will be caught up on.
It comes as up to 95 percent of all NEU teachers within GDST, which runs the school and 22 others across the country, voted in favour of strike action because of the employer's plan to withdraw from the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS).
As of December 2021, 71 percent of all teachers across the 23 GDST schools in the country are NEU members.
A ballot for industrial action had a turnout of 84 percent.
Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live at the strike, Nick Raine, senior regional officer for NEU, said: "I think we've got nearly 100 per cent turnout, we had people join the union to come out.
"This is the first strike in 149 years, which gives an idea of just how upset the teachers are, this is unprecedented.
"The picketing has been really friendly and lively, and they're concerned about the future of the school.
"People have lost trust in the Trust, and they need to think on as it's a wonderful school and a nice place to work where the teachers are committed.
"Some of our members will be looking for other jobs if this goes through, as teachers rely on pensions, it's not the highest paid job.
"GDST is not talking with us, they're not saying that they will reconsider it, and it's ludicrous to call action premature, but we have good relations with them and hope that continues.
"But now is the time for them to sort things out."
As it stands, further strike action is planned on February 23, February 24, and March 1-3.
The Trust said an increase of 43 percent in employer contributions to TPS being introduced in 2019 was the reason for considering withdrawal.
This is in the wake of independent schools not receiving Government support and around 300 independents already leaving TPS, the trust said.
However, the NEU said the Trust had enough money.
But GDST blasted the first day of strike action as 'premature', and claimed its trustees said in September 2021 a final decision on how pension plans would proceed would be taken in the final week of February.
Cheryl Giovannoni, CEO of GDST, said: "We have urged the NEU not to call for strike action prematurely, but they have chosen to carry on with strikes anyway.
"We are disappointed that the NEU has called for strike action while GDST Trustees are still considering all feedback gathered during the collective consultation process.
"GDST has worked closely with heads in our schools to ensure students continue to learn effectively during strike action.
"This includes drawing on GDST resources from across the family of schools and making sure any lessons that are missed on strike days are made-up at other times.
"We hope that, once Trustees make their decision at the end of February, we can reach an agreement with the NEU and with our teachers and that strike action after that date can be avoided in order to minimise disruption to our students’ education.
"GDST and the NEU have been talking for the past four months, at bi-weekly meetings, throughout the formal collective consultation period.
"The GDST has made every effort to discuss its proposed changes and has repeatedly invited the NEU to suggest how they could be developed or to propose alternatives.
"The NEU has refused to engage with us on our proposals, with their national position being “TPS at all costs”. This has meant that the collective consultation process ended without any substantive suggestions made by the recognised union other than an insistence to withdraw the proposals altogether and a ballot for strike action.
"Calls for GDST to “start talking” and “to negotiate”, simply do not reflect the reality or the objectives of the collective consultation process. At every stage, GDST encouraged NEU to engage on behalf of our teachers, an opportunity which was not taken-up."
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