Teachers’ strikes will see classrooms closed in 85 per cent of schools in England and Wales tomorrow, the leader of the country’s biggest teaching union has warned.

More than 100,000 members of the National Education Union (NEU) are expected to go on strike tomorrow in the most disruptive teachers’ strike in more than a decade.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, told The Telegraph that the union expects 85 per cent of schools in England and Wales to be fully or partially closed.

If the union’s prediction is correct, it would mean that more than 18,000 state schools will be impacted.

In some areas including London boroughs with high concentrations of union members, NEU representatives have warned that no schools will be spared classroom closures. 

Some headteachers have told parents that they won’t be able to confirm whether their child will be able to attend school until Wednesday morning, because teachers are not obliged to give advance notice of whether they plan to take strike action.

One parent forced to stay home in most families

At least one parent in most families will be forced to stay at home tomorrow because of the school strikes, a survey has found.

A poll of 1,213 parents by Mumsnet found that 54 per cent expect that they or their partner will have to work from home with children, or take annual or unpaid leave as a result of teacher's strikes. Almost half, or 44 per cent, said their children's education will be disrupted as a result of the strikes.

Striking teachers are demanding above-inflation pay rises. They want ministers to increase their award of a 5 per cent increase for experienced teachers and a 8.9 per cent pay rise for new teachers in the present school year. 

However, the Government says it wants to avoid stoking inflation with public sector pay rises.

Last night, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “These strikes will have a significant impact on children’s education, especially following the disruption of the past two years, and are creating huge uncertainty for parents.

“With talks ongoing on a range of issues, including around future pay, workload, behaviour and recruitment and retention, it is clear that strikes are not being used as a last resort.”

The walkout is expected to be the largest teachers’ strike since 2011. 

Feb 1 is on course to be the biggest day of industrial action for over a decade in Britain, with a total of seven unions going on strike. Alongside teachers, train drivers, civil servants, airport and university staff are planning industrial action. 

The de facto general strike will see 500,000 workers striking across seven unions in the biggest day of industrial action in over a decade, according to the Trades Union Congress.