TEACHERS across Hampshire are striking today (April 27) in pursuit of a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise.

National Education Union (NEU) members will also strike across England on Tuesday, May 2. Members of the Royal College of Nursing are also reported to be planning industrial action for the same date.

Staff at Perins School in Alresford were picketing outside the school this morning. Due to the proximity of the strike days to exams, the school is still welcoming Year 11 pupils, with a dynamic picket in effect.

READ MORE: List of Hampshire schools affected by Teacher strikes this week

Speaking to the Hampshire Chronicle, NEU union representative at Perins Victoria Furness explained: “At the national conference we voted on a motion which would give dispensation to Year 11 and Year 13 teachers, nationally. How that’s being interpreted on a school-by-school basis is varied but at Perins what we have decided as a large and active membership group is we will picket, as we always have done, and take strike action.

“As a consequence, the school is shut to everybody apart from Year 11. But Year 11 will have a very normal day; so, their teachers will come off the picket line to teach them, so they won’t have any disruption beyond the normal level of absence”.

She continued: “We’ve been joined by many members who just haven’t got any year 11 lessons today, so they’ve come in just to join the picket which is great, so it’s a really positive turn out. We’ve got 15 to 18 members on the picket which is really good as most of us aren’t teaching year 11 today.”

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Science teacher Luke Adams said: “Despite the fact that this is still ongoing, I think the fact that we still have this many staff still cheering everyone on and still being so positive about the cause is really good.”

The Perins staff confirmed that they will be returning to the picket line on May 2.

Other schools which are engaging in industrial action in Hampshire today include The Westgate School in Winchester and Sparsholt Church of England Primary School.