Ashby School and Ivanhoe School are both planning another partial closures on Wednesday (March 1) due to strike action by the National Education Union.

The headteacher at Ashby School says it is 'not in a position' to have all of its students in classes on that day.

In a letter to parents, Dr Jude Mellor said: "We will be operating a partial closure as detailed below: 

•   Year 7 students should come to school as normal. They will follow a normal timetable though may not always have their normal teacher. 

•   Year 10 & 11 students will not be able to come to school. They will be able to access subject specific tasks on our website. Students should complete the tasks for the lessons they would usually have on this day but are of course welcome to complete tasks for all subjects if they wish.

•   Year 12 & 13 students should come to school as normal. They will be taught in lessons where their teacher is present and should self-study in lessons where their teacher is not present. They should ensure they have an appropriate amount of independent work with them for this purpose. Laptops will be available as normal. 

•   Students identified as vulnerable will be invited into school."

She added: "We appreciate that some parents will find this partial closure frustrating. 

"The teaching profession is not unique in its strike action over pay and funding for services, with other public sector professions also taking similar action.

"We place an extremely high value on the quality and continuity of education we provide for our students, alongside valuing our highly skilled and experienced staff and their right for their voice to be heard.

"As you will know from the national press, this is part of a series of strikes planned by the NEU. Further dates proposed are the 15 and 16 March and we will update you on our plans for these dates nearer the time. 

"However, negotiations are continuing between the unions and government and this situation may change."

Also in a letter to parents, Ivanhoe School headteacher, Alison Allford, issued a similar message.

She said: "With a significant number of teachers at Ivanhoe being NEU members, this will lead to a partial closure of our school on Wednesday, March 1. 

"As previously, we must prioritise the needs of vulnerable children and those on exam courses.  I am now publishing how the strike will affect your child. On current numbers, the strike day will affect us as follows:

• Year 7 will attend as normal
• Year 10 will attend as normal
• Years 8 and 9 will not attend and will be set online learning via email and our VLE Moodle. More details to follow on Monday, February, 27, on how to access the work

"Some students in Year 8 and 9 who are considered vulnerable will be invited to attend on strike day. Please wait to hear from us if you consider your child to be in this category.

"For students who are normally entitled to free school meals, we will be providing supermarket vouchers via text/email on the day.

"It is important to recognise that our teachers who are in the NEU are not in dispute with Ivanhoe School or our LiFE Multi-Academy Trust, but with the Government. 

"I would add that schools are facing real challenges over teacher recruitment and retention, which of course has a long term impact on the quality of education for our children, and must be addressed by the Government.

"The central issue being a real-terms erosion in pay."