The Liverpool Blue Coat School teachers vote for industrial action

The school was founded in 1708

Teachers at a historic grammar school have voted for industrial action over several grievances with management.

Members of The National Education Union (NEU) at The Blue Coat school in Liverpool voted by 93% to back action.

The union said it had a 100% turnout in the vote of its 70 members who were asked if they favoured industrial action in an indicative vote.

A school spokesman said: "We are saddened that the NEU has taken the approach that it has."

The vote was linked to concerns related to transparency, accountability, and leadership within the school, said the union.

It said the issues included: An unmanageable workload and unsatisfactory arrangements for the allocation of work, ineffective school mechanisms for negotiation and consultation, safety concerns arising from dilapidated premises and equipment, and management cultures.

Bora Oktas, regional officer of the NEU, said: "We sought resolution through a formal agreement that captured our members' issues and potential solutions.

"Unfortunately, the employer rejected this agreement, although we had made it very clear to them that we are prepared to negotiate.

"Despite our best efforts to engage in constructive dialogue, the employer has consistently shunned meaningful discussions, leaving our members with no choice but to escalate it to a formal ballot for industrial action."

A statement from the school said: "While clearly there are things that our staff want to raise, and we want to work collaboratively with the union to address, it is much harder to do this when the detail they are providing is very different from the information that we believe to be correct and accurate."

"What we can say is that, even as recently as the start of this week, we wrote to staff saying that we are committed to reviewing any concerns that have been presented and resolving any issues that may exist. This commitment remains."

The school, which was founded in 1708, is a selective grammar with academy status.

Its alumni include West Ham first team coach Kevin Nolan, former Olympic swimmer Steve Parry and comedian Mitch Benn.