Teacher strike 2023: List of all schools closing in Leeds as advice and 'contingency plans' issued to parents

The National Education Union (NEU) says 23,400 schools in England and Wales will be affected when its members walk out on Wednesday February 1. Its joint general secretary, Kevin Courtney, said that among the teachers who voted to take strike action, 90 per cent in England and 92 per cent in Wales had voted in favour. Support staff also voted to take action, but failed to meet the 50 per cent turnout threshold in England. It means they will not be able to join in with the strike.

According to Department for Education guidance, head teachers are expected to take “all reasonable steps” to keep disruption for pupils to a minimum and to keep schools open in the event of industrial action. The NAHT union, which represents school leaders had run its own ballot but failed to reach the turnout threshold in England. School leaders in Wales will strike though after the ballot of members there met the legal minimum required.

Why are teachers in Leeds going on strike?

The strike action is part of the NEU’s ongoing campaign for a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise. Its says concerns raised continually with successive education secretaries about teacher and support staff pay, as well as funding for schools and colleges, have not been addressed.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, the union’s Joint General Secretaries, said: "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. The average five per cent pay rise for teachers this year is some seven per cent behind inflation. In the midst of a cost of living crisis, that is an unsustainable situation.

"The Government has also been happy to sit by as their own recruitment targets are routinely missed. Teachers are leaving in droves, a third gone within five years of qualifying. This is a scandalous waste of talent and taxpayers' money, yet the Government seems unbothered about the conditions they are allowing schools and colleges to slide into.”

They said the reasons for the recruitment and retention crisis were not a mystery and recent reports from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the National Foundation for Education Research confirm the union’s arguments. The union has warned that if the issues around pay are not resolved then schools will continue to struggle to recruit and retain staff, with the quality of education on offer to children suffering as a result.

Union leaders met with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan earlier this month to try to find a resolution to the dispute but no significant breakthrough has been reported. Ahead of those talks, she had praised teachers for the work they do but criticised the NEU for planning strikes. She said unions did not need to take industrial action to get her attention and children “don’t deserve” the disruption to their teaching.

When are teachers going on strike in Leeds?

The NEU has announced seven strike dates for its members in England and Wales during February and March. Some are national days of action and others will be regional, meaning not all members will be called out to strike at the same time. The teachers’ union says it means no individual school will be affected for more than four dates in total.

The dates for parents in Leeds to prepare for are:

- February 1: All schools in England and Wales

- February 28: Schools in Yorkshire and the Humber

- March 15: All schools in England and Wales

- March 16: All schools in England and Wales

Which Leeds schools are closing because of the teacher strike on February 1?

Some schools are still overseen by Leeds City Council but many are now run by private academy trusts. It means there is no centralised list and each school is expected to notify parents if it plans to close due to the planned strikes on February 1.

A number of Leeds schools have already issued letters to parents or posted statements on their websites. We will be updating this list regularly in the run-up to the strike to give a picture of the position across the city. As of January 30, the following schools were among those to have confirmed their plans:

- Allerton Grange: Contingency plans announced in a letter to parents mean the school will be closed to most pupils but Year 11 pupils will still attend for exams and arrangements were being made to allow a Year 10 trip to York to go ahead as planned.

- Bishop Young C of E Academy: Year 11 pupils are expected in as normal but the school is closed to pupils in other year groups.

- Boston Spa Academy: The school has advised parents that it is assessing the likely impact of the strike and will provide a further update this week.

- Brigshaw High School: Year 11 and 13 pupils will be expected to attend as normal but all other year groups are being asked to stay at home.

- Bruntcliffe Academy: The school will be open to pupils in years 7, 10 and 11 only.

- Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy: The school will only open to pupils in year 7 only and the day will finish at 2pm.

- Co-op Academy Leeds: Year 10 and 11 pupils are expected to attend, as are a number of vulnerable students in other year groups who have been invited.

- Co-op Academy Priesthorpe: The school will be open to pupils in years 10, 11, 12 and 13, as well as students in years 7, 8 and 9 deemed vulnerable.

- Corpus Christi Catholic College: Year 11 pupils should attend as normal but the school will be closed to all other year groups.

- Dixons Unity Academy, Armley: The school will be open to year 11 pupils as well as vulnerable pupils.

- The Farnley Academy: Pupils in years 10 and 11 can attend, as can vulnerable pupils. For those in school, the day will finish at 2:50pm.

- Horsforth School: The school will be open to pupils in years 11, 12 and 13. Those classified as vulnerable can also attend.

- John Smeaton Academy: All pupils in years 9, 10 and 11 should attend but those in years 7 and 8 should remain at home.

- The Morley Academy: The school will only be open to pupils in years 7, 10 and 11, as well as those taking part in academy production rehearsals.

- Oulton Academy: The school will only be open to year 11 pupils and pupils classified as vulnerable.

- Prince Henry’s Grammar School: Pupils in years 11 and 13 should attend, as should those with requested places, including vulnerable pupils.

- Rodillian Academy: The school will be closed to all year groups but the families of vulnerable pupils will be contacted.

- The Ruth Gorse Academy: The school will be open to pupils in years 10 and 11 and the school day will finish at 2:55pm.

- Woodkirk Academy: Pupils in years 7, 11, 12 and 13 are expected to attend as normal but other year groups have been asked to study remotely.

Do you know about another school in Leeds that’s closing? Email [email protected] to share the details with us and we’ll add them to this story.