Teachers’ strike: Is your school closed today? How to check

The most recent strike, on February 1, closed 85% of schools and resulted in the departure of “more than 100,000” teachers.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) have voted to strike in England and Wales, while teachers in Scotland are also on strike.

So how will you know if your school is closed and what to do? Here’s how to find out:

Who decides to close schools?

In England, the decision is left to individual school heads.

In Wales, school heads consult local authorities and in Scotland they work with local councils before deciding whether schools can remain open.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint secretary general of the National Education Union, said the Department of Education was “totally disingenuous in suggesting that we are not ready to talk”.

They added: “What we cannot accept are preconditions that require us to halt strike action before we make any progress in negotiations to resolve this dispute. The only reason Gillian Keegan came to the table at all is because of the successful outcome of the NEU vote.

“We want to settle this dispute in the interests of teachers and children’s education. However, such a settlement will not take place without good will on both sides.

Are schools near me closed?

England

Bedfordshire

Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire schools are due to open today. An updated list showing which schools are closed or partially closed in the county will be available first on strike days.

Cornwall

Today’s strike action does not apply to schools in Cornwall.

On strike days, Cornwall Council does not publish a list of schools affected by the strike, saying: “One of these is managed by individual schools who should communicate with parents about any potential disruption.”

Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire schools are not affected by the strike today. A full list of all schools and their projected status on strike days is available here.

County Durham

Schools in County Durham will be affected by the strike. To date, 23 schools are to be partially or completely closed due to the teachers’ strike. A full list of schools affected can be found on the Durham County Council website.

Cumbria

Schools in Cumbria will be affected by the strike. A list of people who have notified their plans to Cumbria County Council is available here.

Derbyshire

Today’s strike action does not affect schools in Derbyshire. The council has a list of schools in Derbyshire that are closed or partially closed on strike days.

Devon

Schools in Devon should not be affected by today’s strike. A full list of schools affected by the strike can be found on the Devon County Council website.

Dorset

Dorset schools are not affected by today’s strike. The current list of closed and partially closed schools is available here.

East Sussex

Schools in the East Sussex County Council area are not affected by today’s strike.

On strike days, a full list of affected schools will be published at 3.30pm the day before each strike starts.

It also recommends checking individual schools’ websites for information in advance, and a list of them can be found here.

Essex

Essex schools are not affected by today’s teachers’ strike.

A list of school closures will be posted at 6pm the day before school closures on the Essex County Council website.

In the meantime, we advise you to contact the specific school for more information.

Gloucestershire

Schools in Gloucestershire should be open as usual today.

On strike days, a full, regularly updated list of affected schools can be found on the Gloucestershire County Council website.

Hampshire

In Hampshire, schools should be operating as normal.

A full list, updated as individual schools notify the council, can be found on the Hampshire County Council website.

Herefordshire

Schools in Herefordshire should be open as normal today.

Herefordshire County Council currently only offers a live system which shows whether the school is currently open or closed. We advise you to check with individual schools.

Kent

The strikes will not affect schools in Kent today.

Kent County Council offers a search tool which shows if a school is currently open or closed. Parents are advised to check with individual schools.

Lancashire

Today’s strike action will affect schools in Lancashire.

Lancashire County Council has released a detailed list showing which schools will be affected by the strikes and how.

Lincolnshire

Schools in Lincolnshire will be affected by today’s teachers’ strike.

Lincolnshire County Council does not list the affected schools on its website, so please contact individual schools again for more information.

London

Today’s strike does not apply to schools in London.

School status can be checked with individual schools or local authorities – links to their websites can be found here:

Merseyside

Today’s strikes will affect schools in Merseyside.

Merseyside County Council’s website does not contain a complete list of affected schools, so please contact individual schools for more information.

Norfolk

Today’s strike does not apply to schools in Norfolk.

On strike days, Norfolk County Council does not currently have a list of schools affected by the strike, so we advise you to check with individual schools.

Northamptonshire

Schools in North Northamptonshire County Council and West Northamptonshire County Council are not affected by today’s strike. Councils will not offer lists and say it is up to individual schools to notify parents.

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire County Council schools have been affected by today’s strikes.

Northumberland

Schools in Northumberland have been affected by strikes today.

A list of closed schools is available on the Northumberland County Council website, although only one school is currently listed.

Oxfordshire

Today’s strike does not affect schools in Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire Council says it will not post strike warnings on its website and is asking parents to “wait for advice from your child’s school”.

Shropshire

Schools in Shropshire should be open as usual today.

A full list of schools that will be partly or completely closed due to the strike is available on the Shropshire County Council website.

Somerset

Somerset schools are not affected by today’s strike.

A full and regularly updated list can be found on the Somerset County Council website.

Staffordshire

Schools in Staffordshire are expected to open as normal.

You can search a list of closed schools on the Staffordshire County Council website.

Suffolk

Today’s strike does not affect schools in Suffolk.

Suffolk County Council advises parents to check individual school websites.

Surrey

Today’s strike does not affect schools in Surrey.

Surrey County Council does not provide a list on strike days and asks parents to check individual school websites.

Sussex

Today’s strike does not affect schools in Sussex.

East Sussex County Council will update its list after 3.30pm on the day before the strikes.

We advise you to contact individual schools.

Warwickshire

Today’s strike does not affect schools in Warwickshire. A list of partial and total school closures is available on the council’s website here.

Wiltshire

Schools in Wiltshire will be open as usual.

Worcestershire

Schools in Worcestershire will be open as usual. More information on school closures can be found on the Worcestershire County Council website.

Yorkshire

Schools in Yorkshire will be affected by the strike.

We advise you to check with individual schools.

Wales

Today’s strike action does not affect schools in Wales. These local authority websites have detailed information on school closures:

Scotland

Strike action is taking place in Scotland today, which will have a big impact.

Check with individual schools to see if they will be completely closed.

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