The headteacher of a secondary school in Barkingside has issued an extraordinary riposte hitting out at some of the school's teachers after an eight-day strike was announced.

Michele Phillips, headteacher of King Solomon High School in Forest Road, issued a statement in response to an announcement from the National Education Union (NEU) that staff at the school would stage the walkout.

The strikes were announced on March 13 by the NEU and confirmed by the school this morning (March 14). 

Ms Phillips said talks with the NEU collapsed yesterday and hit out at those who had voted to strike.

"The hard truth is the school needs to improve," she said. "This means that teaching needs to improve to keep a Jewish school in Redbridge for current and future generations. 

"I am in utter dismay that 38 staff in this school would rather take this action than support a committed headteacher and senior leadership in turning this school around, and be part of an exciting new journey of success."

Her comments come after the NEU's announcement that the strikes will be going ahead.

A spokesperson for the NEU said: "Attempts to resolve the dispute and prevent any further escalation in a meeting with the headteacher and Chair of Governors in February failed."

They claimed that staff concerns were not being acknowledged and that Ms Phillips "stuck to her guns" in Wednesday's meeting.

Ms Phillips' management style, excessive workloads, a misuse of the capability procedure and a lack of consultation were alleged to be the reasons for the strikes, the NEU said.

Venda Premkumar, the union's Redbridge branch secretary, said the staff were left with no choice but to strike.

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Ms Premkumar said: "It is sad to see a once happy school unravelling at the seams.

"At the end of the day, it is the students that suffer when a school is so dysfunctional – NEU members are trying to defend their colleagues and students’ education."

She claimed staff have reached "the end of their tether through (an) unmanageable increase in workload and having their job security threatened through the misuse of the capability procedure".

But Ms Phillips said: "Leaders holding staff to account is a standard part of running any successful organisation."

The headteacher claimed the strikes are an attempt to "mask poor teaching and lack of professionalism" of some staff. 

Ms Phillips said: "It is the students that will pay the price."

The school will be closed to all bar year 11 and year 13 pupils next Wednesday and Thursday (March 20 and 21).

The strikes will affect the following dates: 

●  March 20 

●  March 21 

●  March 26

●  March 27 

●  March 28

●  April 4

●  April 9 

●  April 10