Damning claims about the "shocking'' state of Whitehaven Academy have been made by angry staff set to vote for strike action.

The NUT and ATL unions claims faulty and broken equipment, crumbling buildings and a lack of adequate resources at the academy is forcing their members to ballot.

They list numerous issues that need to be addressed by Bright Tribe, the trust that runs the academy, to avoid strike action.

These include mouldy carpets, leaking roofs, lack of heating, unsafe cookers and broken computers. Bunsen burners have also been used to warm up unheated science classrooms, the unions claim.

However, it has been revealed by government that Department for Education officials visited the school twice this year to "help identify priority condition issues " and advise Bright Tribe how to focus their investment.

In a joint statement, the unions raised these concerns:

- The building is not ‘fit for purpose’ and presents a health hazard to staff and pupils alike.

- Lack of adequate and functioning resources

- Staff and curriculum issues

- Management style of Bright Tribe Trust staff

Chris Brooksbank, Cumbria's NUT secretary, described the situation at Whitehaven Academy as "shocking'' and said the unions are "trying to work as closely as possible".

He said: "The working conditions of the staff are the learning conditions of the children.''

Stuart Moles, ATL's regional officer for Cumbria and the Isle of Man, said: "We don’t want to take action but we need to protect ourselves and the pupils in our care. The staff are passionate and committed and it is abundantly clear they want the best for their students. But our concerns have been ignored for too long.

"Bright Tribe Trust has to act quickly to avoid this strike and to start talking to the school, its staff and the wider community about how these serious issues will be addressed."

A notice of a ballot has been served to the school by both unions. These will open on December 16 until January 6.

School staff have also written to Education Secretary Justine Greening to outline their concerns.

On Thursday, MP Jamie Reed asked Mrs Greening if she will provide funding for the rebuilding of the academy.

Nick Gibb, the Minister for Schools, said: "DfE officials visited the school in April and October to help identify priority condition issues and gave advice to the Bright Tribe Trust as to how they should focus investment using funding from the annual school condition allocation that the Bright Tribe Trust receives."

Bright Tribe has previously defended claims about the state of the school following the release of damning photographs.

A letter to parents from chief operating officer Kathy Kirkham said: "It is disappointing that the images shared as part of the staff body are misrepresentative."

She said that the majority of images released by staff were of areas of the school which had been closed due to decreased numbers of pupils to help save money or parts that are earmarked for improvements that are already planned.

Mrs Kirkham also said that the trust had put around £400,000 of investments into the academy and a further £500,000 of building improvements are expected over the next year.

- Almost all of the school staff are represented across the three unions: NUT, ATL and NASUWT.

A spokesperson for NASUWT said: "The NASUWT is in a potential dispute situation with the school which we are seeking to resolve."