The chief executive of an education trust has responded to a strike threat at a number of schools including Brighton Girls.
If teachers belonging to the National Education Union (NEU) walk out, it is believed that it will be the first strike in the 149-year history of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST).
Brighton Girls, formerly Brighton and Hove High School, is one of more than 20 schools under the umbrella of the GDST.
NEU members at the trust’s schools voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action, on a turnout of 84 per cent, because of concerns about pensions.
The trust’s chief executive Cheryl Giovannoni 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 28 January.
“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 Teachers’ Pension Scheme (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 £6 million 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.”
