Is your child’s school closed during teacher strike? Full list of walkouts in your area

Wednesday set to be biggest day of industrial action in over a decade

Thursday 02 February 2023 11:34 GMT

Biggest day of strikes in a decade will involve up to half a million workers

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Tens of thousands of schools across England and Wales will be forced to partially close or shut their doors entirely as teachers walk out from tomorrow.

The National Education Union (NEU) has announced seven days of strikes in February and March, with Wednesday’s walkout expected to affect over 23,000 schools.

Teachers will join train drivers, civil servants, university lecturers, bus drivers and security guards from seven trade unions as they gather on picket lines on Wednesday for the biggest day of industrial action in over a decade.

The strike follows failed talks on Monday afternoon between education secretary Gillian Keegan and the general secretaries of the unions, which it had been hoped would resolve the pay dispute.

Ms Keegan said it was “hugely disappointing” that the NEU would proceed with the “unnecessary disruption”, while joint union chiefs Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney accused the cabinet minister of having “squandered” the opportunity to avoid the strike.

The mix of nationwide and regional walkouts will start tomorrow, with the last day of action scheduled for 16 March.

Parents and guardians across England and Wales will be forced to manage their work commitments and plans alongside caring for their children during their time away from the classroom.

Schools set to be fully or partially closed will communicate with families over whether children will need to spend the day at home due to strikes – a decision made at the discretion of headteachers, who in Wales will also consult the local authority.

Below is a full list of tomorrow’s school closures by local authority.

Cambridgeshire

A number of schools will be closed in Cambridgeshire on Wednesday.

“We are expecting disruption to schools on the 1 February with industrial action by the NEU in relation to schools funding and teachers’ pay,” the council says.

“We expect all schools to have some impact as a result of the action even if they are fully open.”

A list of closures, last updated on Tuesday morning, can be found here.

Cornwall

As of midday on Tuesday, Cornwall Council had not issued a list of school closures for Wednesday.

“It’s one for the individual schools to manage, who should be communicating with parents over any potential disruption,” a spokesperson for the local authority told Cornwall Live.

Among those schools confirmed to be affected so far are Penrice Academy and Poltair School in St Austell, and Redruth School.

County Durham

A total of 26 schools are set to close or partially close across the county on Wednesday.

Schools affected include Burnside Primary School, Durham Trinity School and Sports College, and St Bede’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College.

A full list of closures in County Durham can be seen here.

Cumbria

You can check to see if there will be any closures in Cwmbria on Wednesday here.

Devon

On Tuesday, Devon County Council said that 23 schools would be impacted by closures on 1 February.

A table of affected schools can be found on its website.

The council urges parents and guardians to “also refer to your school’s website for further details on individual school arrangements.”

Teachers will take part in strike on Wednesday (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Archive)

Derbyshire

No school closures were reported on Tuesday morning – but check here for the latest updates.

The council also urges families to sign up to receive an email alert to receive notifications about any reported school closures in Derbyshire.

East Sussex

School closures for East Sussex on Wednesday will be listed on the local authority website after 3.30pm on Tuesday. Keep an eye on its webpage here.

The county council warned that closures due to walkouts may not be listed as closed on its webpage, so it urged families to keep an eye on the child’s school website.

Essex

Essex Council will post a list of school closures here.

The list will be updated at 6pm to include closures for the following day. If your child’s school isn’t listed, it advises families to contact the school directly.

Gloucestershire

Scores of schools are set to close in Gloucestershire on Wednesday. For the complete picture, see here.

Ann Edwards C of E Primary School, Archway School and Calton Primary School are among those which have notified the council of closures.

Hampshire

Around 50 schools are set to close in Hampshire on Wednesday. Check h ere for the current list of closures.

Teachers have previously gone on strike in Scotland, demanding a 10 per cent pay rise (Jane Barlow/PA)

Herefordshire

A live list of school closures can be found here. An alert for school closures at institutions relevant to you can also be set up.

Kent

Residents can type in their school name here to check if it is affected by closures.

Lancashire

You can check for any updates here on school closures in Lancashire.

Accrington St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Great Wood Primary School and Pendle Vale College are among those schools set to close.

Leicestershire

Residents should check with their local school to check the exact arrangements, but a of closures can be accessed here.

Brook Mead Academy, Castle Mead Academy and Catherine Junior School are among those expected to be fully closed.

Lincolnshire

The council will update closures it has been made aware of here.

So far, the council notes that Grantham Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School will be partially closed.

London

Parents should check with their borough council to see whether schools are open. A full list of websites can be found here.

Norfolk

See here for closures in Norfolk.

North Yorkshire

Residents are advised to contact schools directly or tune into local radio stations for updates. More information is available here.

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire Council said Wednesday’s strike will affect “several schools” in the county, meaning some schools may need to close or partially close.

For information about any school closures, it urges families to visit their school’s website.

Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire County Council says it will not provide advance warning of either partial or full school closures due to strike action, and urges families to wait for advice from their child’s school about its plans.

Rutland

The council will publish information regarding closures on this page, but urged parents to “always check” with individual schools.

Somerset

Closures for Wednesday can be found here.

Ansford Academy, Crispin School and Kingsmead School are among those to be affected by the strike.

Staffordshire

The council puts together a list here.

Surrey

The council does not have an active list of closures and urges parents and guardians to refer to their school’s website.

If you are unsure of the correct school’s website, you can refer to the council’s schools directory.

Suffolk

Details of any school closures can be found here.

The council says: “The status of individual schools is based on information supplied by the headteacher.

“If the information on this site is incorrect you should contact your headteacher directly.

“Where schools are shown as closed there will be no home-to-school transport operating to those schools.”

Warwickshire

The council has a page where school closures are published here.

West Sussex

Residents can check here whether their school is closed.

The page is updated when individual West Sussex schools inform the council of any closures, so may not be a comprehensive list.

“Individual schools will contact parents, carers and pupils directly if they have to close,” the council says.

Worcestershire

Check here for the situation on Wednesday.

Blaenau Gwent

Schools affected by strikes are listed here.

“Please check with your child’s school for more details,” the council advises.

Bridgend

To check future closures, the council has a planned closures list.

Nine schools are so far expected to be closed, including Llangynwyd Primary and Porthcawl Comprehensive.

Cardiff

Swathes of schools are set to close across the Welsh capital on Wednesday. Check if your school will be affected here.

Cardiff High School, Danescourt Primary School and Greenhill School are among the affected schools.

UK industrial action: What strikes are coming up?

Carmarthenshire

Regularly updated information on school closures within Carmarthenshire is available here.

Caerphilly

Check if your school will be closed here.

Ceredigion

The latest information on Wednesday’s closures is available here.

Conwy

Information on closures will be provided here.

“It must be emphasised that the ultimate decision as to whether a school remains open or closed remains with the Headteacher of the school and the governing body,” the council says.

Denbighshire

The council has shared a list of schools that will be closed due to industrial action on Wednesday.

“Please contact your child’s school if you would like more information,” it adds.

Flintshire

Information on school closures will be provided here.

Gwynedd

A list of all future dates when schools are scheduled to be closed is available here.

“The information on this page is provided directly by a school representative. Schools report here if they are closed,” the council website states.

Isle of Anglesey

School closures on Anglesey will appear on this page.

Merthyr Tydfil

Information on closures is available here.

The council notes: “If there is no status update from your school it is likely to be open. However, please contact the school directly to confirm.”

Monmouthshire

The council will pull together any updates here.

Neath Port Talbot

A list of schools that are affected by the strike on Wednesday is available here.

Among the impacted schools are Central Primary School, Ysgol Maes Y Coed and Gnoll Primary School.

Newport

Information on any closures will be made available here.

Pembrokeshire

Stay up to date with local school closures here.

Powys

A list of school closures announced for tomorrow can be found on this page.

“If a school does not appear in the list below as closed or partially open then please assume that it is open,” the council adds.

Rhondda Cynon Taff