Teachers at the Harris Beckenham school in south London have taken a two-day strike action which commenced on Tuesday (July 8) after Jamaican staff were “targeted” by their bosses and underpaid thousands of pounds, the National Education Union (NEU) has said.

Staff at the secondary school have complained about being “severely overworked to the point of exhaustion”, having to deal with an unacceptable management style, as well as breaches of union rights.

The Harris Federation, which is the UK’s second-largest academy chain, previously came under fire after being accused of paying Jamaican teachers less than their British colleagues.

“We wholly refute any allegations of racism. We are extremely proud of our excellent cadre of Jamaican teachers whom we train, develop and promote within our schools. Their pay and conditions are exactly the same as others in the same position,” the Standard reported a spokesperson for the Harris Federation saying.

The academy chain actively recruits overseas-trained teachers from Jamaica who come to the UK on work visas, the NEU said.

The Harris Federation committed to addressing the poor pay of its Jamaican teachers in March, but union leaders say that many Harris Beckenham teachers have been denied their fair pay, with some underpaid by up to £10,000.

Jamaican teachers at the academy in Beckenham have also complained about unnecessary scrutiny and bullying, with their teaching closely monitored and many facing excessive lesson observations.

One teacher who was fired from the school described how she was let go just months before she was due to have a baby.

The former teacher, who is Jamaican, said: “What they did to me was cruel. I was five months pregnant when they let me go, and most of the things they said weren’t even true. I wanted to challenge it legally, but the whole process was traumatising and I feared the stress would affect my baby.

Teachers have also complained about their workload at the school, with the NEU reporting that almost 90 per cent of teachers were stressed, with many struggling to sleep and having headaches.

The union has also calculated that teachers at Harris Beckenham are working 95 hours over their recommended limit for the academic year and are having to do extra tasks such as attendance calls and filling out forms for school trips.

The Beckenham teachers have also said they are routinely asked to provide cover for their colleagues, sometimes on an almost daily basis.

A recent National Education Union (NEU) survey found that 80 per cent of teachers at the school are thinking of leaving.

Union members have also complained that the Harris Federation has intervened to stop staff from exercising their trade union rights.