Further strikes by teachers are set to go ahead this month after the Education Secretary failed to make a pay offer in “disappointing” talks, union bosses have said.

Gillian Keegan met the general secretaries of unions representing teachers and headteachers on Wednesday morning in a bid to resolve a pay dispute which threatens more walkouts in England and Wales in the coming weeks.

Kevin Courtney, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), told the PA news agency the meeting with Ms Keegan had a “better tone” than previous talks, but there was “no movement” from the Government.

Speaking to PA outside the Department for Education (DfE), he said: “I have to say that in terms of actual outcomes, the meeting was disappointing.

“There is nothing in it that could persuade us not to go ahead with the action that we’ve got scheduled for the week after half-term.

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