Teacher strikes: The schools in Cambridgeshire that are closing or partially closing
Teachers in Cambridgeshire will take strike action tomorrow (Thursday, April 27) as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and school funding.
The action is the latest in a series of strikes by teachers across England called by the National Education Union (NEU).
The Department for Education (DfE) has said it expects headteachers to take all reasonable steps to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible.
Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: “Gillian Keegan is failing to address the multiple problems damaging our children’s education – around teacher recruitment and retention problems, and inadequate school funding.
“She has been told by the profession – and a significant majority of the profession – that her pay and funding offer is not good enough.
“Her response has been to deny the way the wind is blowing. She is refusing to return to the negotiating table.
“It is this inaction, this silence which has left NEU teacher members in England’s schools and sixth form colleges to reluctantly take two more days of national strike action in the coming week.”
The decision to open, restrict attendance, or close a maintained school is for the headteacher. The decision for academies rests with the relevant academy trust but is usually taken by the principal.
Headteachers will again be notifying parents and carers before Thursday if they can, whether they expect their schools to be open, closed, or partially closed.
While employees are not required to tell their employers whether they intend to take strike action, headteachers are entitled to ask staff in advance if they intend to strike so they can plan how to manage the strike.
Without a firm understanding of who is striking, school leaders must consider the impact on the health and safety of children and staff in deciding whether they remain fully open.
Jonathan Lewis, the director of education for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “Schools are again anticipating significant disruption when teachers strike on Thursday. Even schools which are fully open will see some disruption to the curriculum. We will be collating information on which schools are closed or partially closed and updating our website regularly.
“Headteachers are writing to parents to allow them to make decisions. In the case of full closure, schools are being encouraged to support vulnerable children and critical worker children, although capacity is likely to be limited.”
Where schools have no option but to restrict attendance, they should consider, where possible, providing remote education. Striking teachers cannot be compelled to set work for students to complete on the day of the strike and are encouraged by the NEU not to do so.
Advice from the DfE is that there is no legal requirement for schools to teach the curriculum on strike days and the offer around schools is likely to be limited.
