With teachers set to strike to fight for pay and funding for education, here's how north Northamptonshire schools will be affected

County teachers will take industrial action tomorrow morning (Wednesday, February 1) as members of the National Education Union (NEU) strike.

It is thought that the majority of secondary schools will be impacted after 90.44 per cent of teaching members taking part in the ballot voted yes to action.

Students across different year groups will be affected differently with priority being given to those in exam years, vulnerable pupils and key worker children.

In a letter to parents and carers, one county headteacher Paul Letch, of Huxlow Science College in Irthlingborough, has explained the reasons why the strike is going ahead.

He said: “The support for strike action, from teachers, is as a result of 12 years of underfunding education, by the Government.

"The consequence of this is that we are now in the throes of a recruitment and retention crisis in teaching. Teacher shortages are a critical problem for almost every school, with pay not sufficient to attract and retain enough staff. Across the country, there has been a significant drop in applications for vacant posts across all subjects, with subjects such as maths, science, computing, business studies and languages often receiving no applications at all.

“Graduate recruits to teacher training are well below targets as graduates of key subjects are able to earn significantly more in industry. This teacher shortage does not show any sign of abating.

“Problems recruiting and keeping staff are central issues for heads now, and inadequate pay is the biggest contributing factor. The erosion of teacher’s pay and serious concerns about funding for schools, is causing increasing difficulties for school leaders.

"Shortages of teachers and supply teachers increases the burden on staff in school. Teachers choosing to strike do so because they feel very strongly about these issues. The recruitment issues run alongside the decision by central Government not to fund schools fully for the pay increase offered to teachers this year. School budgets are therefore being placed under further strain which can only impact on the provision we offer."

Members of the NEU will gather at two county rallies on Wednesday morning – one in Corby town centre from 8.30am to 10am and the other in Northampton in the afternoon.

With many schools having significant numbers of staff taking action, for safety reasons only specific year groups will be taught, others will work from home.

Huxlow Science College Year 12 and 13 students are to carry out independent study at home. The sixth form area will be open and supervised as a warm space for those wishing to come in. No live lessons will be taught.

School will be open for all Year 11 lessons. Where teachers are not in school, students will be supervised and other examination preparation activities put in place by senior leaders.

School will be closed to Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students. Pupils should access online work.

Kettering Buccleuch Academy has advised that the school will ‘remain fully open’, and children should attend as normal.

Raunds’ Manor School has said the strike will highly likely have a ‘significant impact’ on the school.

Rushden Academy will open to specific year groups to allow for the school to operate safely with regards to supervision and adequate ratios of staff to students.

Year 12 and 13 will be allowed in the sixth form area, open and supervised as a warm space for those ‘wishing to come in’. Some Year 13 students may have normal lessons if their teacher is in. Year 12 and 13 students also have the option to complete independent work at home.

Year 11 students will be supervised and other examination preparation activities will be put in place by senior leaders. Exams scheduled for Year 11 students will be going ahead as normal.

School will be open for all Year 7 lessons but Rushden Academy will be closed to Years 8, 9 and 10 pupils with no live lessons taking place.

Southfield School in Kettering will only welcome vulnerable and key worker children. All others in Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,12 and 13 will work from home.

Latimer Community Arts College in Barton Seagrave will see a partial school closure. The school will be closed to students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. Year 11 students should attend and will follow a normal timetable. Sixth form students are invited to access study facilities.

Lodge Park Academy Corby plans to have year groups 11 and 13 in school on Wednesday.

Montsaye School in Rothwell will be closed to pupils in Years 7 to 10. The school will remain open to pupils in Years 11, 12 and 13. During any lessons not taking place due to the teacher taking strike action, pupils will be expected to complete independent study.

At Brooke Weston Academy in Corby all Year 7, 11, 12 and 13 pupils should attend school as normal. Year 8, 9 and 10 pupils will access remote learning.

Prince William School in Oundle will close to Years 7, 8 and 9 but remain open for Years 10, 11, 12 and 13.

Just over the border in Rutland Uppingham Community College, which is attended by some Northamptonshire children, will be closed to students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. Year 11 students will be expected to attend school as normal.

Bishop Stopford School in Kettering will close to all pupils except to students in Year 13 with mock exams, ‘vulnerable’ students and the children of critical workers.

Corby Business Academy will be open for all students from Year 7, Year 11, Year 12 (self-study facilities to be made available), Year 13, all Unit Provision students and vulnerable children. The Year 11 to 13 computer science trip, to DisneyLand Paris, is not affected. With the exception of those deemed vulnerable, Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 students should not attend.

At Kingswood Secondary Academy in Corby a spokesperson for the Greenwood Academies Trust, that manages Kingswood, said: "The decision about whether or not to take strike action is a personal one for each teacher to make on the day, and we respect that. However, we are working hard to enable partial or full openings where feasible. We will of course continue to keep parents updated with as much notice as possible so they are aware of the arrangements for their child’s school.”

The NEU says that the strike is a result of failure by the Secretary of State in England to ensure enough money is available to pay a fully-funded increase in pay for teachers which at least matches inflation, and which begins to restore lost pay.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the National Education Union, said: "We have continually raised our concerns with successive education secretaries about teacher and support staff pay and its funding in schools and colleges, but instead of seeking to resolve the issue they have sat on their hands. It is disappointing that the Government prefers to talk about yet more draconian anti-strike legislation, rather than work with us to address the causes of strike action.

"This is not about a pay rise but correcting historic real-terms pay cuts. Teachers have lost 23 per cent in real-terms since 2010, and support staff 27 per cent over the same period.

Other strike days are also planned for Wednesday, March 1, Wednesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 16.

If your school is affected by strike action, let us know by emailing [email protected].