Teachers across Waltham Forest will go on strike next week as part of a national day of action against the government.

All secondary and the majority of primary schools in the borough are expected to close on Tuesday, July 5 as members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) walk out.

The union has demanded increased funding for schools, reductions in teachers’ workloads and improved pay conditions.

Steve White, from Waltham Forest NUT, said: “We believe the strike will be effective at all of our secondary schools and most of our primaries.

“The NUT Easter conference took the decision that we would ballot members for more strike action, based on the fact our workload is increasing and our pay is poor.

“We hope as many striking teachers as possible will attend our protests because we need to demonstrate our concerns to the government.”

Teachers from across the borough will meet at Walthamstow Central station at 10am on Tuesday for a demonstration, before heading to a national protest at Oxford Circus.

A summer festival, including musical performances from more than 1,000 Waltham Forest children, was due to take place in Walthamstow Assembly Hall on the day of the strike.

However, the Tuesday schedule for the two-day event has been reduced due to the industrial action. The second day of the concert will go ahead as planned.