TEACHERS at a village school are to strike for the third time in almost as many months in a row over job cuts.

Staff at Gwersyllt CP are to walk out again this week (Wednesday October 3 and Thursday 4) as they continue their dispute about budget cuts and potential redundancies.

Classes will again be cancelled for a large number of children at the school, as the strike action, which began at the end of the last school year in July and took place again in September, continues.

In a letter seen by The Leader, Acting Headteacher Jacqueline O'Toole said the decision to close classes or the school is never taken lightly, but where staff had elected to take lawful industrial action, she had no choice but to take appropriate steps to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all pupils.

The entire school will not close during the strike days with pupils from Snowy Owls, Kestrels, Harriers, Class 1 and Class 3 advised to attend school as normal with the Barn Owls class open in the morning but closed on both afternoons.

There will be no after school clubs on either day, but playmates and breakfast club will be available to those pupils who will be unaffected by the strike.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, The Teachers’ Union said: “Strike action is always a last resort for teachers and it is regrettable that members of the NASUWT have been left with no option but these further days of action at Gwersyllt Community Primary School due to potential restructuring, and associated redundancies and job losses.

“Parents and the wider community should be left in no doubt that the NASUWT remains willing to engage with the employer to find a resolution to this dispute, with a view to withdrawing the planned industrial action. Parents will also be rightly concerned about the impact of the proposals the NASUWT is challenging on their children.

“If the strike does go ahead, the NASUWT deeply regrets any disruption the action will cause pupils and parents.”