Teachers’ strike: Is your school closed today (March 15)? How to check
Teachers are set to go on strike again today (Wednesday, March 15) after the UK has seen widespread industrial action in multiple sectors.
The walkouts, which began on March 1, have so far seen tens of thousands of teachers striking in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.
Members of the National Education Union (NEU) have voted for industrial action in England and Wales, while teachers in Scotland also walked out on March 1.
However, strike action in Wales has now been called off after a revised pay offer from the Welsh government.
So how will you know whether your school is closed and what to do? Here’s how to find out.
Who decides whether schools close?
In England, the decision to close is left to individual Head Teachers.
However, in Wales, head teachers consult with local authorities, and, in Scotland, they liaise with local councils before deciding whether schools can remain open.
Upcoming teacher strike dates
- Wednesday, March 15 – England
- Thursday, March 16 – England
Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said the Department for Education was being ‘completely disingenuous to suggest that we are not willing to enter talks’.
They added: ‘What we cannot accept are pre-conditions which require us to pause strike action before we have made any progress through negotiations to resolve this dispute. The only reason Gillian Keegan has come to the table at all is because of the NEU’s successful ballot result.
‘We want to resolve this dispute in the interests of teachers and children’s education. Such a resolution will not come, however, without goodwill on both sides.’
Are schools closed near me?
England
Many schools will be closed across England during NEU strikes.
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire County Council’s school status can be checked on their website.
Buckinghamshire
School status in Buckinghamshire can be seen on an updated list showing which schools are closed or partially closed in the county and will be available first thing on strike days.
Cornwall
On strike days, Cornwall Council is not publishing a list of affected schools, saying: ‘It’s one for individual schools to manage, who should be communicating with parents over any potential disruption.’
Cambridgeshire
A full list of all schools and their expected status on strike days is available here.
County Durham
On strike action days, a full list of affected schools can be found on Durham County Council’s website.
Cumbria
Cumbria school students and parents can find a list of affected schools here.
Derbyshire
The council has a list of Derbyshire schools which are closed or partially closed on strike days.
Devon
A full list of affected schools on strike days is on Devon County Council’s website.
Dorset
A live list of closed and partially closed schools in Dorest is available here.
East Sussex
On strike days, school status in the East Sussex County Council will be issued at 3.30pm the day before industrial action is due to start.
It also recommends checking individual schools’ websites for advance information, and you can find a list of them here.
Essex
A list of school closures will be posted at 6pm the day before they happen on the Essex County Council site.
Meanwhile, the advice is to contact individual school for more information.
Gloucestershire
On strike days, a full list of affected schools, which is regularly updated, can be found on Gloucestershire County Council’s website.
Hampshire
A full list, updated as the council is notified by individual schools, is on Hampshire County Council’s website.
Herefordshire
Herefordshire County Council is at present only offering a live system which shows whether a school is currently open or closed. The advice is to check with individual schools.
Kent
Kent County Council offers a search tool to show whether a school is currently open or closed. Parents are advised to check with individual schools.
Lancashire
On strike days Lancashire County Council will release a detailed list showing which schools will be affected by the strikes, and how.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire County Council is not listing affected schools on its website, so again, check with individual schools for more information.
London
For a school’s status, you can check with individual schools or your local authority – links to their websites are here:
- Barking and Dagenham
- Barnet
- Bexley
- Brent
- Bromley
- Camden
- City of London
- Croydon
- Ealing
- Enfield
- Greenwich
- Hackney
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Haringey
- Harrow
- Havering
- Hillingdon
- Hounslow
- Islington
- Kensington & Chelsea
- Kingston-upon-Thames
- Lambeth
- Lewisham
- Merton
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Richmond-upon-Thames
- Southwark
- Sutton
- Tower Hamlets
- Waltham Forest
- Wandsworth
- Westminster
Merseyside
Merseyside County Council’s website is not carrying a full list of affected schools, so contact individual schools for more information.
Norfolk
On strike days Norfolk County Council doesn’t have a list of affected schools at present, so the advice is to check with individual schools.
Northamptonshire
North Northamptonshire County Council and West Northamptonshire County Council will not be offering lists on strike days and says it is up to individual schools to notify parents.
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Council is not giving information on the council website on the relevant strike days so you will need to contact individual schools for information.
Northumberland
A list of school closures is made available on Northumberland County Council’s website on strike days.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire Council says it will not provide advance warning of strike action on its website, and asks parents to ‘wait for advice from your child’s school’.
Shropshire
A full list of schools which will be partially or fully closed due to strike action is available on Shropshire County Council’s website.
Somerset
A full and regularly updated list can be found on Somerset County Council’s website.
Staffordshire
You can access the list of school closures on Staffordshire County Council’s website.
Suffolk
Suffolk County Council advises parents to check individual schools’ websites for information on strikes.
Surrey
On strike days, Surrey County Council is not providing a list and asks parents to check individual schools’ websites.
Sussex
East Sussex County Council will update its list after 3.30pm on the day before any strikes.
However, the advice is to contact individual schools.
Warwickshire
A list of partial and full school closures is available on the Warwickshire council’s website here.
Wiltshire
Wiltshire Council does not appear to post a list of school closures, and so parents should contact individual schools.
Worcestershire
Details on school closures are available on the Worcestershire County Council website.
Yorkshire
The advice given for strike days is to check with individual Yorkshire schools on their status.
Wales
Strikes in Wales have been called off after a revised pay offer. However, these local authority websites feature details of school closures in future:
- Blaenau Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
Scotland
On strike days you should check with individual schools to see whether they will be closed.
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