Created on: 24 Nov 2025
EIS members will be taking strike action at Craigclowan School to protect their pensions.
Craigclowan School has used ‘fire and rehire’ letters to force its teachers to give up their occupational teachers' pension scheme (the STPS) and instead join a cheaper private pension scheme from January 2026.
Teachers at Craigclowan School have been fighting to protect their pensions for over six months and obtained a strike mandate from an independently run ballot six weeks ago. All EIS attempts to open talks to resolve the dispute have been rebuffed by the school, which does not recognise any trade union.
Teachers in Craigclowan School, like most of the independent school sector and the state sector, are members of the same occupational pension scheme, the STPS. Teachers in Craigclowan School are fully GTCS registered but are paid around 15% less than primary school teachers in the state sector.
From January 2026 onwards, the school plans to reduce its pension contributions by putting teachers into a private pension scheme, which will be worse than their current STPS pension.
To the EIS’s knowledge, Craigclowan School will have the worst teachers' pension scheme in any school in Scotland, other than Glenalmond College.
Whilst Craigclowan School is a standalone charity and company, it is effectively a subsidiary of Glenalmond College and is thus a part of the Glenalmond Group. Glenalmond College’s teachers have also had their pensions changed, but they are not part of this dispute.
The EIS also notes that while the school is further depressing real-terms pay and cutting pensions, the Glenalmond Group has appointed a new and additional post of Chief Executive Officer – covering both Glenalmond College and Craigclowan School.
The EIS believes that the Glenalmond Group’s spending priorities are misplaced and that its funds would be better spent on its teaching staff rather than on employing more senior managers.
Craigclowan School pupil fees have not increased in line with the introduction of VAT or general inflation. The school seems to be planning to use cuts to teachers' pensions and real-term pay to subsidise pupils’ fees – a practice the EIS finds unacceptable.
Commenting on the strike action, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “Strike action is a last resort for teachers, but it is necessary at Craigclowan School because its teachers need to protect their pensions.
"Their long-term financial security is at serious risk, especially as they are already paid less than teachers in the state sector.”
Ms Bradley continued, “Craigclowan School has put an unacceptable amount of pressure on its teachers to force through an inferior pension, including the despicable act of using ‘fire & rehire’ – a practice that will largely be outlawed when the UK Employment Rights Bill is approved.
"It is wrong for Craigclowan School to expect teachers to effectively subsidise pupil fees by sacrificing the quality of teacher pensions or pay. The EIS will continue to support members placed in such a difficult position."
"The EIS calls on Craigclowan School to enter into talks to resolve this dispute and to prioritise its resources on its teaching staff, the school’s greatest asset.”