Strikes called off

TEACHER strikes planned to go ahead at The Henley College this week were suspended following a new pay offer.

They would have been the ninth and 10th staged by members of the National Education Union since September, when sixth form teachers were excluded from an above-inflation pay increase secured by the union for teachers in England.

The increase was supported by an additional £1.2 billion in funding to help schools cover the costs. However, teachers at sixth-form colleges were not offered the same pay rise, other than those that are part of the academy system.

Last week, four teachers from the college in Deanfield Avenue formed a picket line outside the school.

However, on Wednesday, Nick Childs, the senior regional officer for the union, announced that the Sixth Form College Association had offered teachers a new pay deal.

He said that the union now had “firm assurances” around securing pay parity.