Strike held at private all-girls' school

The union said it was willing to negotiate

Strike action has gone ahead at a private all-girls' school in East Sussex.

Teachers and support staff at Roedean School in Brighton walked out on Tuesday amid a continuing dispute over remuneration.

James Armstrong, regional support officer at the National Education Union, said the "last thing" teachers wanted to do was go on strike, but they felt forced to take action due to "detrimental" changes to pay and pensions.

A spokesperson for Roedean School said they regret "some staff were taking strike action".

"The school has put in place a comprehensive plan to ensure the impact on our students is kept to an absolute minimum," they added.

"We remain open to discussing our proposals further with colleagues and working together towards a constructive resolution to this matter."

Roedean charges up to £19,350 per term for full boarding

Strike action at Roedean - which charges up to £19,350 per term for full boarding - was planned in April, though it was called off after the school's management agreed to put a new union offer to its governing body.

Mr Armstrong told BBC Radio Sussex the union was "really trying to come up with compromises," adding the walkout was the first in the school's 140-year history.

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Further strikes at the school are planned for 7, 13, 14 and 15 May, with pickets set to take place on these dates.

Roedean previously said it was "currently looking at how to manage costs in a fair way that does not impact on the overall high quality of education".

It added: "Roedean School has not been immune to the significant cost pressures the sector has faced in recent years."