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Industrial action: FAQs

Get answers to your questions about strike action. Find out about your rights and responsibilities, and how to respond to industrial action.

Updated
on 11 April 2025See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 45513
Contents
  1. What's the current state of play? 
  2. How to respond to strike action
  3. What to do about cover and teaching arrangements
  4. Understand rights and pay for striking workers
  5. Practical considerations for strike days

The National Education Union (NEU) recently balloted its teachers and school leaders over the proposed teachers' pay award for 2025/26. A preliminary online ballot closed on Friday 11 April. The NEU is considering its next steps, which could include a formal ballot (see 'What's the current state of play?' below for full details).

We’ll update this article when there are further developments. Select ‘save for later’ in the top right hand corner of the article to be notified when this happens.

The rules, guidance and your responsibilities around strike action haven't changed.

 These FAQs are based on:

See the sources section at the bottom of this page for the other guidance, advice and legislation that these FAQs draw from.

Please note, unions may have different interpretations of your legal requirements than the DfE.

We recommend you seek legal advice and consult with any union reps in your school, as appropriate.

What's the current state of play? 

What's happening with teachers' pay ? 

Who can go on strike?

Can staff in independent schools go on strike?

What's 'industrial action short of strike action?'

How to respond to strike action

Who do we need to tell about strikes?

Who can decide to close the school?

Do staff have to tell our school if they're going on strike?

How much notice of a strike will we get?

Who do we need to notify about closing the school?

Do we need an industrial action policy?

Do we need a risk assessment to keep the school open during strikes?

Which pupils should we prioritise to be in school?

What are the minimum staffing ratio requirements to stay open?

What happens if our headteacher is striking?

What if strikes affect exams?

What to do about cover and teaching arrangements

Do we need to deliver the curriculum on strike days?

Can we ask other staff to cover lessons?

Can we employ temporary staff to cover strikes?

Can we combine classes?

Can we use volunteers to supervise pupils?

Can we ask striking teachers to set work in advance?

Understand rights and pay for striking workers

Can we ask striking teachers to make up lesson time?

Do we have to rearrange missed PPA time?

Do striking workers get pay?

How do we deduct pay?

Does striking impact continuous service or the length of service?

Practical considerations for strike days

How should we handle school lunches?

Can we be inspected by Ofsted during a strike?

What if staff are sick on strike days?

Can we rearrange school events and parents' evenings?

How do we record pupil attendance?

Is picketing allowed?

What does this mean for insurance?

Sources

The information in this article is based on:

Article updates

14 April 2025

We've updated the 'current state of play section' with the results of the NEU's preliminary online ballot.

11 April 2025

We've updated the 'current state of play section' with information about the NEU's preliminary online ballot.

13 December 2023

We've updated the current state of play section, with information about the DfE's consultation on minimum service levels.

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