TEACHERS at Chepstow School went on strike on Tuesday (April 17) over the issue of “punitive management” at the school.

More strikes are planned but teaching union the NASUWT says they can be averted if agreement can be found.

The union – which has around 30 members at the school, about half of the staff, also wrote to parents outlining why they considered the action necessary.

Monmouthshire Council says both sides should put the interests of pupils first and “sort out” the dispute.

Chair of governors Mr Craig Bridgeman said they were disappointed that one of the four unions at the school had taken industrial action and that a formal procedure to listen to a group complaint had been established but no detail has been given by the union.

In the letter to parents, the union said: “We regret that we have been placed in the position of having to take strike action at Chepstow School.

“The strike is in protest over the repeated failure of the governing body to effectively address long-standing issues over the way in which the school is being managed.

“Our members have had enough of the punitive management practices that have become part of the culture at Chepstow School.

The union national officer for Wales, Rex Phillips, told the Review: “We were looking to take forward a collective grievance and had paperwork prepared but the panel who were going to look at it were going to treat them as individual rather than collective grievances which would have identified individuals.

“Trade unions exist to protect individuals, not single them out.”

Meetings with the council and chair of governors failed to reach agreement on short-term solutions and so the strike went ahead as planned.

Mr Phillips added: “A meeting is being set up under the aegis of ACAS and if we can make progress we may not have to take the next day of strike action.”

Mr Bridgeman said: “We are very disappointed that strike action is being threatened by one of the four teacher unions at our school.

“Last July the NASUWT informed the governors that they intended to take out a grievance against the management of the school.

“The chair of governors met informally with a group of teachers in November to try to discuss their issues.

“The governors established a formal procedure to listen to the group complaint, but no detail has been given to the governors in the five months since the procedure was put in place, last November.

“We are still hopeful that worthwhile discussions may happen that will resolve this situation as soon as possible. The school’s aim is to safeguard the education of all the young people we serve.

“The school will continue to focus on giving our students the best possible educational experiences and to ensure that all staff fulfil this duty in a professional and effective manner.

“We always seek to maintain good working relationships with all staff. This approach has led Chepstow School to its best ever results, a balanced budget and a healthy school roll.”

Cllr Richard John, Monmouthshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and young people said: “It is really concerning to have industrial action in any school at any time but particularly in a secondary school in the run-up to examinations.

“I am disappointed that this internal dispute between the governing body and the NASUWT has not been resolved.

“My officers and I continue to be available to assist where we can.

“I hope and expect both sides to put the interests of the pupils first and to sort this out.”