Teachers in England and Wales are set to go on strike in February and March after members of the National Education Union voted in favour of action in a dispute over pay
School staff will walk out on seven different dates, which will vary by location, after talks with the Government broke down.
Here, The Telegraph answers the big questions about what the strikes are likely to mean for schools in the weeks and months to come.
Will schools close?
Schools with large numbers of NEU members in England and Wales could close, while those with only a handful of members are likely to remain open.
The union has a total of around 300,000 members. It said on Tuesday that more than 20,000 teachers had joined since it announced strike action last week.
Primary and secondary schools could both be affected.
Some schools are more likely to stay open after a separate strike ballot held by the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) failed to meet the threshold required for industrial action.
When will the strikes take place?
- Wednesday February 1 (England and Wales)
- Tuesday February 14 (Wales)
- Tuesday February 28 (the North)
- March 1 (the Midlands and the East)
- March 2 (London, the South-East and the South-West)
- March 15 (England and Wales)
- March 16 (England and Wales)
Will exams and exam preparation be disrupted?
Ministers will ask schools to prioritise keeping classes open for GCSE and A-Level pupils.
NEU leaders have told The Telegraph that while it is not possible to rule out disruption to exams in the summer, it is unlikely that teachers would strike on exam days.
Will vulnerable children be able to go to school during strikes?
The Government will also ask schools to prioritise children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Any advice from ministers is not binding. It will be up to schools to make the final decision.
What about the children of key workers?
It is not yet known whether Government guidance will provide any extra provision for the children of key workers.
Some schools are likely to resurrect pandemic-era contingency measures which could include prioritising places for children of key workers and those identified as vulnerable.
