Teachers’ strike: Schools debate whether or not to close

The strike has been jointly called by both the NUT and NASUWT in protest against pay and working conditions and union officials expect it to be strongly supported across the country.

In Retford, both the Oaks Academy and Elizabethan Academy will be closed to all students in Years 7-13 for Oaks and 7-11 for Elizabethan.

However, support staff and non-striking teachers will still be working and students will be able to come in for private study.

Retford Post-16 Centre will also be open to students for study and again, support staff will be working, but teachers will not.

In Dinnington, Wales High School, Dinnington Comprehensive School and Maltby Academy will all be closed to students in Years 7-13.

Aston Academy will be closed to students in Years 7-11, apart from 60 Year 11 students who are taking part in a specific maths course.

The sixth form, for Years 12 and 13, will also be open as normal.

In Worksop, the prevelant mood seems one of trying to carry on as normal and schools are likely to decide late in the day whether they will close or remain open.

Worksop College, Clowne Heritage School and North Notts College have already all said they will be open as normal.

And the Outwood Academies at Portland and Valley, Worksop Post-16 Centre and Serlby Park Academy in Bircotes all say they have yet to determine whether they will close or not and instead appear likely to leave the decision until Friday or even Monday.

In all cases, the number of staff striking and how many students that will affect will be the major factor in the decision.