Unions
The latest news and analysis on teaching unions in the UK, including teacher strikes, pay disputes, industrial action and more
Tuesday
9th Jun 2026
Support-staff unions threaten industrial action over pay
GMB, Unison and Unite express ‘profound concerns’ over the direction of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body
Schools lack scope to cut exam time as most pick shorter papers
Ofqual says schools can cut exam times by choosing different awarding bodies, but 91¶¶Òõ analysis reveals that, in most cases, this isn’t an option – and school leaders are now calling for the number of exams to be reduced instead
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Let birthday pupils skip lunch queue to cut absence, schools told
Schools will be provided with new tools highlighting absence patterns over the year, and new communications guides to improve engagement with families
Friday
5th Jun 2026
Experts at Hand guidance calls for ‘innovative’ staff deployment
DfE advice seeks to allay fears that severe shortages of staff such as educational psychologists will put the brakes on its Experts at Hand service, on same day as it reveals members of key SEND panel
Extra in-service days promised by new Scottish education secretary
EIS teaching union sees more in-service days as crucial in helping teachers to adapt to the Curriculum Improvement Cycle
Friday
22nd May 2026
How teaching unions fell out of love with Labour
After a promising start to relations between the Labour government and the education unions, tensions have started to rise. Will an unfunded pay award be the tipping point for another series of strikes?
Nearly 1 in 5 primary leaders tell parents to stop vaping
Heads’ unions hope plans to make vaping illegal anywhere on site will help settings to reinforce existing school rules
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