Teachers at Alleyn Court prep school, Southend, to strike

Teachers at the Alleyn Court prep school, in Wakering Road, will be striking over plans from the school to remove their access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Staff who are part of the National Education Union are embarking on six days of industrial action, starting on July 6, over a dispute with the trust which runs the school.

Strikes are scheduled for Tuesday July 6, Wednesday July 7 and Thursday July 8 and three days the following week July 13, July 14 and July 15.

There will be pickets at the School site each morning of the strike days

So far, there has been no response to the union from the Alleyn Court Educational Trust.

Strike - Alleyn Court School in Wakering Road, Southend

The trust is now threatening staff with the practice of “fire and rehire", it is claimed.

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NEU Regional Secretary, Paul McLaughlin, said: “The last thing members want to do is have to take industrial action, however trustees have dismissed every approach for compromise and have left members with no choice but to take action in defence of their pension.”

“We know that teachers at Alleyn Court have not been given pay increases in comparison to those in the public education sector who received 3.1 per cent.

"They see the pension as a significant part of their conditions.

"The Trustees are seeking to deprive them of this important benefit, offering a vastly inferior scheme in its place.

"We believe the school can afford the current scheme – it would cost less than £60K to fund a proposed increase in cost to the scheme. “

The Chair of Trustees for Alleyn Court Educational Trust said: "Collective consultation has been underway at the School, as it would in any organisation, where a variety of options have been discussed in respect of proposed pension changes. 

"It is not appropriate to discuss further details about employee terms and conditions.

"Like many other Independent Schools faced with this dilemma, not of our own making, we have entered into a period of consultation with staff over withdrawal of the Teachers Pensions Scheme. 

"This is something that all private schools are having to consider each making a decision as to what is in the best interest of their particular school, after full consideration of their individual situations.

"It is with deep regret we find ourselves in this position as staff are highly valued.

"We have worked to minimise the disruption to enable our children to see out the last weeks of their summer term in this already disturbed year, and will remain open."