Teachers' strikes: Will Calderdale schools shut and when are the strikes taking place?

The NEU – the UK's largest education union – announced this evening (Monday) that its members had voted in favour of walkouts, affecting 23,400 schools in England and Wales.

Sue McMahon, from education campaigners Calderdale Against School Cuts, said some schools will close during the action.

“Schools have seen an unprecedented decline in funding, but with an unfunded pay award, the crisis in education is not the fault of schools or teachers, rather this Government which doesn’t prioritise young people,” she said.

"Undoubtedly schools will close during the action, but the Government now needs to recognise the scale of the crisis and sit down and negotiate, as 12 years of brutal cuts continues to damage young peoples education.”

According to advice from the Department of Education, headteachers are expected to “take all reasonable steps” to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible during a strike.

It also says the decision to open, restrict attendance, or close a school is for the headteacher.

The decision for academies rests with the academy trust, but is usually delegated to the principal.

"Headteachers should consult governors, parents and the local authority, academy trust or diocesan representative (where appropriate) before deciding whether to close,” says the guidance.

If the Government do not negotiate and make significant improvements to their current offers, NEU members in England will take its first national strike action on February 1.

A series of regional actions will then happen, including strike action across the Yorkshire and Humber region on February 28.

There could then be further national strike action on the March 14 and 15.

A spokesperson for the Calderdale branch of the NEU said: “Calderdale NEU members will be supporting the strikes in large numbers.

"No worker wants to strike, but unfortunately NEU members have been driven to take this action because of the way that the Government has fundamentally mismanaged education.

"Teachers have seen their pay fall in real terms by around 20 per cent, and support staff pay has fallen by over 25 per cent in real terms.

"The Government’s pay offer for this year is far below inflation, continuing the trend of a decade of teacher pay decline.

“What’s more, the Government’s pay offer is under-funded, meaning that school budgets are not rising enough to keep up with the requirements for education worker pay.

"Our children’s education should not suffer in order for education workers to be paid properly, and the Government needs to fully fund pay rises.”

Daniel Whittall, President of Calderdale NEU said: “Education workers are under enormous pressure. With the cost-of-living crisis biting and against a backdrop of more than a decade of declining pay, coupled with real increases in workload and wider pressures stemming from a recruitment and retention crisis across the profession, we have had enough.

"We are proud of the way our members are fighting to defend the education system as well as their terms and conditions, and we hope the public will join them on their picket lines in solidarity as we all fight for a better education system together.”