School strikes in Sussex: When are the strikes, which schools will close and why are they taking place?

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) voted to take strike action on seven days across England and Wales in a bid to raise awareness of what they say is a lack of funding in schools, which is having an adverse impact on children, as well as expressing concerns about teachers’ pay.

Parents with children in primary and secondary schools across Sussex are waiting to find out if their children will be able to attend school on the strike days while officials put together a plan of action to cope.

Here is a guide to what we know about the strikes and their impact so far:

When will the strikes take place? Seven days of action will be taking place but schools will only be impacted by four of them. In Sussex, the first day of action was on Wednesday, February 1, with the second to follow tomorrow, Thursday, March 2. The two further dates are Wednesday, March 15, and Thursday, March 16.

Why are they taking place? A despite over pay is the catalyst for the industrial action with NEU members wanting a pay rise of 12 per cent, but the government offering a pay rise of just five per cent. The union says that teachers’ pay has fallen by 24 per cent since 2010 due to inflation and that government funding is not being provided to fully fund pay rises. The union is said to be considering a pay rise of nine per cent if the Government fully funds it. The unions are also using the strikes to raise awareness of what they say is underfunding in schools as a result of funding not keeping in line with raising costs. This means schools are having to make cuts to balance the books.

Why can my child’s school not tell me if their class will be affected on that day? Teachers who are members of the union are under no obligation to give advance notice to their head teacher that they intend to strike – making it difficult to plan with any certainty. However many teachers are expected to give advance notice where they can about whether they intend to strike or not to help colleagues, parents and pupils where they can. Some union members may also make the decision not to take part in the strike action.

For more read ‘Why can schools not tell me if they will be closed? When will I know?’

So what could this mean for my child? Although head teachers and providers will do all they can to keep schools open, if a large number of teachers decide to go on strike this may not be possible. It may mean the whole school will close, certain year groups may be asked to remain at home or just certain classes whose teachers are on strike. If schools need to restrict attendance, the government has asked that schools prioritise vulnerable children, children of critical workers and pupils who are due to take public examinations (like GCSEs) and other formal assessments. Children who do go to school may be taught by a different teacher for the day and those who stay at home may be set work to complete remotely. In some schools there may be little or no impact from strike action.

Are any schools in Sussex planning to be closed on strike days? Schools in Sussex have started to update parents about the situation at their particular site, and Sussex World will bring you updates as news comes in.

Do I need to send my children to school on strike days? Unless school leaders inform you that the school is closed or cannot provide a place for your child then your child should attend school as normal unless they are unwell.

How does this affect teachers and staff in independent schools? Only state-funded schools are affected by the NEU strikes, so strikes in the independent sector will not be taking place.