A GWENT school was closed yesterday as 33 teachers took part in a strike over proposed pay cuts.

Union reps and management at Pontllanfraith Comprehensive have battled since January over planned restructuring.

The school wants to introduce a faculty system, which will see existing departments merging to create bigger faculties.

Staff say their salaries will drop while their workload stays the same, or they will receive only a small increase in pay in return for a larger workload.

Heads of departments will be overseeing faculties - made up of two or more departments - for £160 extra per year.

Other teachers, whose workload has not increased, say they will see a cut in their pay of £500 per year.

NASUWT rep and maths teacher Gabrielle Dannin said: "Generally you have faculty systems in bigger schools, we only have around 800 children. We don't see the need for it.

"A lot of the staff don't want to keep striking, because we are teachers and we want to do our job. But the strike has to be successful, because otherwise we will continue."

Maths teachers Jeff Davies said: "I'm losing money but doing exactly the same amount of work. It doesn't make sense to me"

NASUWT's national executive for south east Wales, Tim Cox said: "We were moving forward until last week, when the governing body went back on previous agreements."

Parent Helen Potter, mother of 14-year-old Mary Chamberlain, said: "The teachers shouldn't have their pay cut, considering some of the children they put up with. They do a good job."

More strikes are planned on October 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19.

Head teacher Ali Stevens declined to comment.

A spokesman for Caerphilly council said: "The local education authority is extremely disappointed that the NASUWT union has once again called for strike action which will disrupt the education of pupils."

He said the head and governors had put the implementation of the scheme on hold while they seek an end to the industrial action.

"It is now time for the school to move on and for pupils to be allowed to continue their education without further disruption," he said.