Staff and union members from Reading Girls' School gathered today outside the school gates to protest against an unfair medical absence policy across the Thames Learning Trust.

Dozens of protesters grouped together with placards that displayed slogans such as 'paid leave for medical appointments should not be discretionary' and 'I'd rather be teaching but this is important.' 

Joint branch secretary Katie Gumbrell, 35, said "Any NEU members are taking strike action today because their trust has an unfair leave of absence policy."

Ms Gumbrell went on to outline that at the moment staff are forced to take hospital appointments as unpaid leave. They are unaware of any other schools locally or indeed nationally that have this same policy. 

"We've been in negotiations with the trust and they put forward some amendments, but when members didn't agree they withdrew them all," she continued. 

The concessions Thames Learning Trust put forward was being able to take two hospital appointments as paid leave but the staff member must prove that they tried to change that appointment. 

Ms Gumbrell said "Anyone who has ever tried to deal with the NHS will know that you do not get any choice with your appointments. 

"Also, nobody chooses to go to hospital. The trust is just being very unfair to members."

Ms Gumbrell continued that they hope that this strike will bring about positive change. 

The school wants what other schools are afforded - paid leave for necessary appointments, and hopes that the trust will see sense. 

Juliette Bessiron, 25, who is the workplace representative, said that since starting her career at the school she has been fervently aware of the injustice that the teachers are currently facing. 

"I've only been teaching for a year and a half and I can already see that teachers are really struggling with the new requirements and the workload," she said. 

"A policy like this is detrimental to teacher's health, well-being, motivation, and in turn their ability to do their jobs needs to change."

Ms Bessiron said that the strikers' most important aim was to get the message out to the community. 

"People just don't know that this is happening," she continued. "I think that this is embarrassing for the trust as the community now knows that this is how they value teachers. We hope that this going to put pressure on the trust so they come to the table and negotiate."