TEACHERS across the town will be taking part in a national strike on July 5 against funding cuts and changes to teachers’ terms and conditions.

Members of the country’s largest teaching union, the National Union of Teachers, said the strike is not about pay but about the ‘break-up of the education system’ and teachers’ employment rights.

Kevin Courtney, acting general secretary of the NUT, said: “The NUT is taking strike action in response to the funding crisis in our schools, which is impacting on teachers’ terms and conditions and children’s education.

“The NUT is also highlighting the complete break-up of our education system into individual academies, which is resulting in a breakdown of teachers’ employment rights.

“Hard fought for entitlements such as sick leave and maternity/paternity rights are under attack. Meanwhile, pay systems are now being decided at school level.

“This is a monumental waste of head teachers’ time.”

Mr Courtney said schools need extra funding to meet the extra costs the Government has imposed through increased National Insurance and pension payments, which amounts to a 5 per cent increase on the money each school spends on teacher salaries.

But Conservative MP for Warrington South, David Mowat, said: “I’m disappointed that teachers have decided to go on strike.

"It will be hardworking families who will suffer as a result when they are forced to give up a day’s pay in order to look after their children.”

Shaun Everett, leader of the Warrington branch of the NUT, said teachers’ disagreement is not with parents or schools but with the government.

He said: “We are asking all NUT teachers in Warrington schools to strike on the 5th July and not go in to school. This was a democratic ballot and teachers have the right to do this.

“As always, our disagreement is not with their schools, our pupils or their families but with the government who have forced us into this action despite our attempts to reason with them and to have a professional dialogue.

“We hope that families will understand that the teachers working conditions are the same as their children's learning conditions."