Teachers’ strike: Is your school closed today? How to check if you’re affected

Teachers are set to walk out on strike again today (Tuesday, February 28) in certain regions of England and Scotland.

The last strike, on February 1, closed 85% of schools and saw ‘more than 100,000’ teachers walk out.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) have voted for industrial action in England and Wales, while teachers in Scotland are also striking.

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 is left to individual Head Teachers.

In Wales, head teachers consult with local authorities, and in Scotland they liaise with local councils before deciding whether schools can remain open.

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?

Bedfordshire County Council schools are due to be open as normal today – you can check the list of schools.

Buckinghamshire

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

Cornwall

Schools in Cornwall are not affected by today’s strike action.

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

Schools in Cambridgeshire are not affected by strike action today. A full list of all schools and their expected status on strike days is available here.

County Durham

Schools in County Durham will be affected by strike action. So far, 23 schools are due to close either partially or fully due to the teachers’ strike. A full list of affected schools can be found on Durham County Council’s website.

Cumbria

Schools in Cumbria will be affected by strike action. A list of those who have reported their plans to Cumbria County Council is available here.

Derbyshire

Derbyshire schools are not affected by strike action today. The council has a list of Derbyshire schools which are closed or partially closed on strike days.

Devon

Schools in Devon are not due to be affected by today’s strike. A full list of affected schools on strike days is on Devon County Council’s website.

Dorset

Dorset schools are not affected by today’s strike. A live 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 schools affected by the strikes will be issued at 3.30pm the day before each one is due to start.

It also recommends checking individual schools’ websites for advance information, and you can find a list of them 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 they happen on the Essex County Council site.

Meanwhile, the advice is to contact individual school for more information.

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire schools should be open as usual today.

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

Hampshire

In Hampshire, schools should be operating as normal.

A full list, updated as the council is notified by individual schools, is on Hampshire County Council’s website.

Herefordshire

Schools in Herefordshire should be open as normal today.

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

The strikes will not affect schools in Kent today.

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

Schools in Lancashire will be affected by today’s strike action.

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 is not listing affected schools on its website, so again, check with individual schools for more information.

London

Schools in London are not affected by today’s strike.

For a school’s status, you can check with individual schools or or your local authority – links to their websites are here:

Merseyside

Schools in Merseyside will be affected by today’s strike action.

Merseyside County Council’s website is not carrying a full list of affected schools, so contact individual schools for more information.

Norfolk

Schools in Norfolk are not affected by today’s strike.

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

Schools in North Northamptonshire County Council and West Northamptonshire County Council are not affected by today’s strike. The councils will not be offering lists, and says it is up to individual schools to notify parents.

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire County Council’s schools are not affected by today’s strikes.

Northumberland

Schools in Northumberland are affected by today’s strikes.

A list of school closures is available on Northumberland County Council’s website, though at present only one school is on it.

Oxfordshire

Schools in Oxfordshire are not affected by today’s strike.

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

Shropshire schools should be open as usual today.

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

Somerset schools are not affected by today’s strike.

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

Staffordshire

Schools in Staffordshire are expected to be open as normal.

You can search the list of school closures on Staffordshire County Council’s website.

Suffolk

Schools in Suffolk are not affected by today’s strike.

Suffolk County Council advises parents to check on individual schools’ websites.

Surrey

Surrey schools are not affected by today’s strike.

On strike days, Surrey County Council is not providing a list and asks parents to check individual schools’ websites.

Sussex

Schools in Sussex are not affected by today’s strike.

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

The advice is to contact individual schools.

Warwickshire

Warwickshire schools are not affected by today’s strike. A list of partial and full school closures is available on the council’s website here.

Wiltshire

Wiltshire schools will be open as usual.

Worcestershire

Schools in Worcestershire will be open as usual. More details on school closures are available on the Worcestershire County Council website.

Yorkshire

Schools in Yorkshire will be affected by strike action.

The advice is to check with individual schools.

Scotland

Strike action is taking place nationally in Scotland today which will have a major impact.

Check with individual schools to see whether they will be fully closed.

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