Tens of thousands of teachers will strike in England today as part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.
The majority of schools are expected to restrict classes or close entirely as part of the strikes, which involve members of the National Education Union (NEU) working in schools and sixth form colleges.
The strike comes weeks before students are set to take their GCSE and A-level exams, with many schools expected to prioritise Year 11 and Year 13 students as a result.
Guidance issued by the NEU said it will support arrangements during the strikes that “provide the minimum level of teaching staff needed” so pupils can attend school for revision activities or exam practice.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “There’s lots of places where arrangements are being made. In some places it’s members teaching, in others it is teachers setting work for the children on those days.
“Obviously, there is still disruption and we’ve fully acknowledged that and regret it, but we’ve taken those steps on the dispensations to try and assuage that concern as much as possible.”
The strike is the latest in a series of walkouts staged by teachers this year as they demand an above-inflation pay rise and additional money for schools to ensure pay increases don’t come out of already overstretched budgets.
