STAFF at Winterbourne International Academy are ‘angry’, ‘fed up’ and ‘demoralised’, unions have said as more than 100 teachers prepare to go on strike next week.

Forty-nine members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and 62 of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) are planning to walk out for six days starting on Thursday, September 10 after communication between new management at the troubled academy broke down.

Nigel Varley, joint secretary of NUT South Gloucestershire, said new chief executive principal Beverley Martin was the root of the problem after blaming staff for an Ofsted inspection in April this year which rated the school as ‘requiring improvement’.

Ms Martin, who took over during the summer term, has reportedly called members of staff ‘lazy and unprofessional’ and accused 90 per cent of teachers of not meeting standards.

Mr Varley told the Gazette: “There have been a whole load of stories about who said what. We held a series of very large meetings last term and people were really angry.

“On the first day back of term on Tuesday people still feel the same and really are fed up.

“Exam results have improved but they have not been praised.”

Wendy Exton, national executive member for NASUWT, said: “Teachers do not want to take this action but feel there is no alternative as they are not being listened to by Ms Martin.

“The offensive terms which Ms Martin uses to describe her staff is not helping with staff morale.”

A joint statement issued by the two unions said: “Ms Martin has adopted a confrontational approach and alienated the very people whose efforts will turn the school around.

“NUT and NASUWT are committed to making WIA a successful school. It has been an excellent school for many years and teachers now being blamed for ‘failures’ were the ones who made it successful. Our members reject the accusation that most of them are unprofessional and incapable of making improvements without being spoken to and treated like naughty children.”

The unions are citing increased workloads, claiming teachers will be expected to attend meetings at 7.30am and mark work up until 10pm and at weekends, and an assumption of incompetence unless proven otherwise as reasons for striking.

Union members will meet off campus this afternoon (September 3) to decide whether to strike for six days on September 10, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24.

Both unions have said there is still time to resolve the dispute through negotiations.

The academy said it had only been made aware of the proposed strike action on the first day back of the school term on Tuesday (September 1).

A statement on its website said Richard Haupt, principal at Winterbourne International Academy, received email notification from the NUT regarding proposed strike action and a fax from NASUWT on Tuesday.

The academy said: “The NUT have notified that 49 staff will be asked by the union to strike but have not given any reasons for the proposed strike action.

“The (NASUWT) union have not detailed any current concerns which would result in strike action."

It said the school, which has 132 teachers and 1,805 students on its roll, had no plans to close as a result of the potential strike action.

The Gazette contacted Ms Martin by phone and email to discuss the issues raised by the unions but has had no response.