Private school staff to vote on strike over pensions

Union says Girls’ Day School Trust’s plan to leave Teachers’ Pension Scheme will lead to ‘talent drain’

A PRIVATE girls’ school trust is facing its first ever strike as the union ballots members for action on pensions.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) will vote in an indicative ballot on whether to begin strike action over the Girls’ Day School Trust’s (GDST) plans to leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).

The union, which is the recognised body for staff across the 23 independent schools run by the GDST, has said it is the first national ballot on strike action in the trust’s 149-year history.

The proposal to leave the TPS would leave remuneration in the group of private schools significantly worse than local state schools, the NEU says. It warns that a “talent drain” from GDST schools is likely as staff may leave to protect their retirement.

A number of independent schools have left the TPS, or are considering a withdrawal from the scheme, after the rate of employers’ contributions increased by 43 per cent in 2019.

The hike followed a valuation of the public service pension schemes by the Treasury. The uplift has been covered by the Government in state schools, but not in private schools.

Private schools which choose to remain have already warned that the hike could result in them having to charge parents higher fees.

The schools run by the GDST include Kensington Preparatory School, Blackheath High School, Sutton High School and outside of London the Belvedere Academy, Brighton Girls, Oxford High School and Royal High School Bath.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “The proposal by the Girls’ Day School Trust to leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme is an unnecessary decision.

“There is no [reason] to leave the scheme. The trust’s finances are healthy as can be seen in public accounts.

“No evidence to the contrary has been provided to staff or their recognised union, the NEU.”

He added: “We continue to engage with the employer and [hope to] persuade the trust to withdraw their plan to remove our members’ pension rights under the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.”

Data released after the increase was announced showed that up to one in ten fee-paying institutions planned to leave the government-backed scheme.

The indicative ballot of staff across the 23 private schools will run from today to Dec 6.

Cheryl Giovannoni, chief executive of the GDST, said: “The GDST has been grappling with the increased cost of the TPS scheme since 2019, when the employer contribution increased from 16.48 per cent to 23.68 per cent, which represents a 43 per cent increase.”

She added: “Our Trustees are proposing an excellent alternative to the TPS, which we know is one of the best on offer in the sector.”