London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 01, 2026

Teachers vote for another three days of strikes

Teachers vote for another three days of strikes

Teacher strikes are likely to continue in England until the end of the school year, after National Education Union (NEU) members voted for three strike days in late June or early July.
Strike dates have already been confirmed for 27 April and 2 May.

The NEU also plans to ask members whether they want to continue strike action next year, in a move the government said was "unforgiveable".

It rejected an improved pay offer this week.

Most teachers were offered a 4.3% rise next year, as well as a £1,000 one-off payment this year. Starting salaries would also rise to £30,000 from September.

The three further dates - which members voted for at the NEU conference in Harrogate - will now have to be approved by the NEU executive when it meets on 18 May.

The proposals mean strikes will not take place while students sit their A-level and GCSE exams.

However, the NEU intends to use the exam period - which starts on 15 May - to re-ballot its teacher members in England on further strike action in the next academic year.

Kevin Courtney, its joint general secretary, said: "Parents and the education profession will be in no doubt that if further industrial action needs to be taken the blame for this will lie squarely at the government's door."

Less than half of England's schools were fully operational during national teacher strikes on 1 February and 15 and 16 March.

Negotiations after the last national strike resulted in an improved pay offer from the government.

The results of the NEU ballot on Monday found 98% of members were in favour of turning the deal down.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) also overwhelmingly rejected the pay offer.

Both unions argue it was not fully funded, which could mean schools having to make cuts elsewhere.

The government said it believed schools could afford to fund most of the 4.3% pay rise through money already promised in the Autumn Statement, but that it would have provided some additional money to fund the remainder of it, and to fund the £1,000 one-off payment.

However, Luke Sibieta, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said the average school could fund a "small amount of the higher pay offer" from its budget - but the picture varied from school to school.

The Department for Education said it was "unforgiveable that the NEU are re-balloting for more strike action up until Christmas this year".

"NEU and ASCL's decision to reject this offer will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today," a spokeswoman said.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said pay would now be decided by the independent pay review body, which would recommend pay rises for next year. This means the £1,000 payment for this year will not happen.

Teacher salaries fell by an average of 11% between 2010 and 2022, after taking inflation into account, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Most state school teachers in England had a 5% rise in 2022.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
England Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Sewage Discharges and Water Quality
Victoria Beckham Business Reports First Operating Profit Since Launch
BT Expects £2 Billion From Copper Sales During Full-Fibre Rollout
UK Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise and Avert Strike Action
FCA Chief Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Pressure on Consumer Group in Car Finance Case
Kemi Badenoch Names Andrew Griffith Shadow Chancellor in Conservative Reshuffle
UK House Prices Rise for First Time Since April
UK Shop-Price Inflation Accelerates to 1.5% in August
Met Office Data Point to Hottest UK Summer on Record
UK Announces Emergency Prison Release Measures and £110 Million Capacity Expansion
UK Launches Expanded Free School Meals and 1,400 Breakfast Clubs
Bank of England Governor Warns G20 of AI-Related Economic and Cyber Risks
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Calls for Greater Public Control of Water, Energy and Transport
UK Gains Full Access to £13 Trillion Trans-Pacific Trade Bloc
UK Long-Term Borrowing Costs Hit 28-Year High as Oil Shock Drives Global Bond Selloff
Royal Mail Keeps First-Class Stamps at £1.80 and Second-Class at 91p
Church of England Prepares Formal Apology Over Historical Forced Adoptions
UK Competition Regulator Caps Veterinary Prescription Fees at £21
UK Aviation Authorities Roll Out Airspace Changes to Reduce Flight Delays
England Makes School Allergy Policies Mandatory Under Benedict’s Law
England and Wales Tighten Child Safeguarding Checks by Removing Supervision Exemption
Cornwall Geothermal Plant Begins Commercial Power and Lithium Operations
UK Inflation Holds Near 2.9% as Energy Costs Remain a Risk
UK Productivity Growth Averages 1.1% Over Two Years, Resolution Foundation Says
England Introduces Nationwide School Smartphone Ban and Uniform Limits
UK Gives Border Officers New Powers to Seize Migrants’ Mobile Phones
Green Party Wins First Westminster By-Election in Gorton and Denton
UK and EU Advance Gibraltar Border Deal Allowing Spanish Guards to Conduct Arrival Checks
Robert Jenrick Joins Reform UK After Losing Conservative Whip
Andy Burnham Faces First Prime Minister’s Questions After Labour Cabinet Overhaul
ScottishPower Recycles Nearly All Materials From Historic Hagshaw Hill Wind Farm
Millions Travel Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for Summer Bank Holiday
Met Office Issues Yellow Thunderstorm Warnings Across Southern England
Four Arrested After Bank Holiday Stabbing Violence in Kettering
Scottish Chamber of Commerce Warns Tax and Business Costs Risk Holding Back Scotland
UK Government Launches Youth Employment Drive With Major Retailers
UK and Ukraine Advance AI and Defence Technology Partnership
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Moves to Exclude Serious Offenders From Early Release
Twelve Arrested After A66 Crash Kills Seven, Including Two Police Officers
Bank of England Governor Warns AI Investment Boom Could Trigger Global Market Correction
London Science Museum Ends Long-Running BP Sponsorship
Scottish Homeowners Prepare Valuation Challenges Over Proposed Mansion Tax
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Undercover Police in Spycops Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Avanti West Coast Drivers Agree 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Action
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
UK Government Retreats From Plan to Unfreeze Personal Income Tax Threshold
Northern Ireland Leaders Press UK Government for Sustainable Funding Settlement
UK Health Agency Warns Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak Could Worsen
NHS Warns Autism and ADHD Assessment Costs Have Become Unsustainable
×