TEACHERS at Prestwich Arts College will stage a one-day strike next week.

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) - which accounts for just under half the teaching staff there - will take action on Thursday, February 2 over pay cuts and a staffing re-structure implemented by the headteacher and governing body.

Helen Andrews, Bury NUT Division Secretary, said the dispute stems from a "national agreement" between the Government and the other teacher unions to re-structure all schools and give heads and governors the freedom to cut the salaries of teachers.

She said: "The structure that is being implemented will replace the head of year role with non-teaching staff. The NUT believes that this will lead to potential increases in disruptive behaviour among pupils and a fall in academic standards."

Ms Andrews said that the majority of the 82 schools in Bury had chosen to adopt a structure that does not cut teachers jobs or salaries, but Prestwich Arts College had taken the decision to go ahead and cut pay.

She added: "We do not take strike action lightly; we appreciate this will be disruptive for parents, but we ask parents to value the judgement of those at the chalk face.

"The new structure will be detrimental to the education and welfare of young people in the school. The NUT remains willing to enter into realistic consultation with the governing body."

Headteacher at Prestwich Arts College, Mr Geoff Barlow, said he was optimistic the action would not go ahead as planned as he was in negotiations with the NUT.