Teachers are set to strike after a secondary school told five members of staff they would be laid off.

It is understood that mostly support staff have been affected by the cuts at Goodwin Academy in Deal.

The National Education Union (NEU) held a ballot of members at the comprehensive, where 100% voted for industrial action, with a 60% turnout.

It comes after an anonymous source told KentOnline that children had been left “distressed” by the lay-offs.

Union members - four of whom are directly affected - are aiming to stop all compulsory redundancies with the move.

They say they also have “serious concerns” about wider cuts, in the form of not replacing other staff leaving, and how this will affect workload and the service the school can provide for its children.

Teachers and other employees will be holding pickets at the school in Hamilton Road between 7.30 and 9am on June 3, 12, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26.

Union representatives have been in dialogue with the school and Thinking Schools Academy Trust (TSAT), which runs the site, over the proposed cuts and say they will continue to negotiate to seek a resolution.

Jamie Pout, South Kent NEU joint secretary, said: “Taking industrial action is a last resort for our members; however, they have been left with no choice as it is very clear that these cuts to front-line staffing will have a significant negative impact on the education the children at Goodwin receive.

“We will be working with management to try and negotiate a solution so strike action can be avoided if possible.

“TSAT, as the employer, needs to provide support for the school and clearly show they understand it is unacceptable for children to suffer the consequences of inadequate school funding.”

A spokesperson for TSAT said: “We remain committed to providing the highest quality education for our students and the best possible working environment for our staff.

“We have put plans in place to minimise any disruption to our students’ learning and are continuing to work closely with the small number of affected staff to offer support throughout this process.”

Previously, TSAT told KentOnline the decision was “very difficult”.

“With the new staff structure planned from September, the school has ensured the right level of resources is in place to meet the needs of all pupils,” it added.

The NEU has 49 members at Goodwin Academy, and while it is not known if all will take part, the majority are expected to.

A representative of the school initially told KentOnline seven staff would be impacted by the job cuts, but has now confirmed this number to be five.

A spokesperson added: “We remain committed to providing the highest quality education for our students and the best possible working environment for our staff.

“We have put plans in place to minimise any disruption to our students’ learning and are continuing to work closely with the small number of affected staff to offer support throughout this process.”