TEACHER strikes have returned today, with scores of schools across Essex affected by the fifth day of national action this year.

Some schools have remained partially open, though many are fully closed.

Most teachers across English state schools received a five per cent pay rise last year, but according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, teachers’ salaries fell by 11 per cent between 2010 and 2022 because of inflation.

Teaching unions are demanding a pay increase which is above inflation and doesn’t come out of schools’ existing budgets.

Below is a table showing the status of schools in Colchester and Essex today as the strike action continues.

Cabinet minister and Essex MP James Cleverly said a “good offer” had been made to teachers over pay and workload reduction.

“The best way of minimising disruption to students is for those teachers to be in the classrooms,” the Foreign Secretary told LBC Radio.

“Many, many students have had a very, very disrupted last couple of years because of Covid and I think everything we can do to help them start their lives better through education is really, really important.”

He said the Government had listened to the concerns of teachers and the unions “but ultimately these kids have been through a tough enough time as it is”.