Teachers across Essex will strike tomorrow in a long-running dispute over pay.

Teacher members of the NEU are set to strike in the eastern regions and the Midlands in England on Wednesday.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, told the PA news agency: “I think across the three days we will have 200,000 members taking strike action.”

The country’s largest education union has had 50,000 new sign-ups since the strikes were announced six weeks ago, he added.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has called strike action “unforgivable”, adding that children deserve to be in class, especially after the pandemic.

Speaking ahead of the strikes in the north of England, Mr Courtney said: “I think a majority of schools will be affected by the dispute. Some of them with full closures and many more with partial closures.

“Some secondary schools will be completely closed, others will have particular year groups in and a similar pattern in lots of lots of primary schools.”

Here are all the south Essex schools fully or partially closing tomorrow, according to the county council website:

  • Basildon Lower Academy - School open for year 7, online remote learning for years 8 and 9 
  • Basildon Upper Academy - School open for Years 11, 12 and 13, online remote learning for year 10 
  • Beauchamps High School in Wickford - Years 11 to 13 on site, years 7 to 10 have remote lessons at home
  • Brightside Primary School in Billericay - Only one class will be open and no online learning. School will be open to vulnerable pupils
  • Glenwood School in Benfleet - School is open to the children of critical workers
  • Lincewood Primary School in Basildon - Open for all year 6 pupils, vulnerable children and children of critical workers. Remote education is not being provided
  • Mayflower High School in Billericay - Open for vulnerable children and children of critical workers. Remote education is being provided for years 7, 8 ,9 , 10, and 12
  • Oakfield Primary School in Wickford
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School on Canvey - Reception on school trip, so will still attend
  • The Appleton School in South Benfleet - Open for year 12 and 13, year 11 for Mock exams and for vulnerable students and children of critical workers
  • The Fitzwimarc School in Rayleigh - Years 7, 11, 12, 13 and vulnerable students will be on site. Years 8,9 and 10 will have remote learning at home
  • The King John School in Benfleet - Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 in school only
  • The Robert Drake Primary School in Benfleet - Vulnerable pupils able to attend
  • The Sweyne Park School in Rayleigh - Remote education is being provided, open for vulnerable children, children of critical workers and pupils due to sit exams
  • Wickford Primary School - Partially closing classes where staff have not confirmed attendance. All pupils, including vulnerable and those of critical workers, attending other classes
  • Winter Gardens Academy on Canvey - Nursery open. Rest of school closed

The following Southend schools have also sent letters to parents:

  • Chase High School in Westcliff - closed to year 8, 9 and 10
  • Cecil Jones Academy - closed to years 7, 8 and 9. School starts at 9.55am for year 10 and 8.50am for years 11, 12 and 13

Any parent whose child’s school is not listed is  advised to contact the school directly for more information.

In a message to parents, Mr Courtney said: “We really do sincerely apologise for the disruption to their children’s education on our strike days, and to the disruption to their working lives and home lives.

“But we do believe we’re taking action with a moral purpose of trying to get the Government to invest in their children’s education.”

Last week, Ms Keegan invited the teaching unions to “formal talks on pay, conditions and reform” on the condition that NEU strikes were suspended.

The NEU has called on the Education Secretary to drop preconditions to talks and instead make a “serious” offer on pay to avert national walkouts from taking place across England and Wales on March 15 and March 16.

On February 1 – the first day of walkouts by NEU members – the majority of state schools in England were forced to shut their doors to some pupils.