Pupils at schools across Ryedale are being asked to stay away from class again for two days as teachers prepare to take strike action.

The latest strikes are set to go ahead on Thursday (April 27) and Tuesday, May 2.

The largest education union in the country the National Education Union (NEU) voted not to accept the Government's pay offer earlier this month with 98 per cent of teacher members in England, who responded in a consultative ballot, voting to turn down the deal.

The result of the ballot was announced at the start of the NEU’s annual conference held in Harrogate on April 3.

After a period of intensive talks with unions, the Government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year and an average 4.5 per cent pay rise for staff next year.

Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said children and staff are “bearing the brunt of the workforce crisis” in schools.

She said the Education Secretary is “deluded” and “living in a fantasy world” over recruitment and retention challenges facing schools, the leader of the largest education union has said.

Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, has issued a plea for ministers to re-enter talks with education unions ahead of the strikes.

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The strikes will see schools in Ryedale partially close to some pupils.

During the strikes Malton School, Ryedale School, and Norton College will be closed to students in years 8 and 9, with work to be completed at home instead.

In a letter sent to parents, the headteacher of Norton College, Tim Johnson, said: “One of the fundamental reasons that this (pay) offer was rejected was because the majority of the pay increase was to be funded by schools from existing budgets, rather than by the government.

“This is placing significant pressure on school finances and is ultimately leading to us having to make difficult decisions which impacts on our students, in common with all schools nationally.

“For example, we are not able to run a small number of subjects with lower levels of uptake at Key Stage 4 and 5.

“These are difficult decisions which we do not want to make but we have had to do so to ensure that the school remains financially secure amidst a backdrop of cuts and austerity.”

He added that the number of staff members at the school who are members of the NEU has increased and anticipated that the strike days would cause disruption to the school, but said: “However, the decision to operate a partial closure on both days should minimise the number of occasions that this is necessary.”