Some teachers in England are set to go on strike again after members of the National Education Union (NEU) rejected the latest pay offer.

The union said the offer “shows an astounding lack of judgement”, but the Department for Education (DfE) said it is “disappointed the NEU has called more strike action”.

So, when will teachers strike and will schools close?

FactCheck takes a look.

When will the next teacher strikes take place?

There will be two days of strike action in England, which will take place on Thursday 27 April and Tuesday 2 May (the day after the May Day bank holiday).

Why are teachers striking?

Thousands of teachers across the country have taken part in industrial action in recent months due to ongoing disputes over pay.

The government said it has offered a one-off £1,000 payment to all teachers in England for the current school year, a commitment to reduce workload and a pay increase of 4.5 per cent for next year.

But 98 per cent of those who voted in the NEU’s ballot of teachers rejected the government’s offer.

This means teachers who are part of this union will now take part in the fresh wave of strikes.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education, said: “This resounding rejection of the Government’s offer should leave [education secretary] Gillian Keegan in no doubt that she will need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal.

“The offer shows an astounding lack of judgement and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system.”

The DfE said on Twitter: “The Government is disappointed the NEU has called more strike action. It’s important that children remain in the classroom, especially as exams are fast approaching.

“Pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body which will recommend pay rises for next year.”

Will schools be shut?

Whether or not a school will close during industrial action will depend on how many staff in each school go on strike, and the decision will be for the headteacher to make.

The DfE said it expects headteachers in England to aim to keep the school open for as many pupils as possible in the event of a strike, with some teachers asked to cover lessons, or classes being brought together.

Schools that can’t provide in-school learning for all pupils are being encouraged to provide remote education, such as online lessons.
In some cases, schools may need to restrict attendance, but, if this does happen, the DfE has asked schools to prioritise vulnerable children, children of critical workers and pupils taking exams.

Schools will let parents know in advance what measures will be in place during strikes, but it’s not yet clear how much warning they will get.

Data released by the DfE shows that when members of the NEU in England went on strike on 15 and 16 March, 47 per cent of all schools in England were open but restricted attendance and 6 per cent were fully closed on both strike days.

Secondary schools were worst affected, with 79 per cent restricting attendance and 5 per cent fully closed on 15 March. On 16 March, 80 per cent restricted attendance and 6 per cent were shut.

The NEU Joint Secretaries said they are asking their school reps to plan with head teachers to ensure that students taking their GCSEs and A-levels this summer “have a full programme of education on the upcoming strike days”.