Lincolnshire teachers to strike over job cuts as missed school days take their toll on exam results

Every day a child misses school makes it harder for them to pass their exams. For families across Lincolnshire this week, a planned strike is a reminder of how much is at stake when lessons are lost.

Teachers at five schools run by the Horncastle Education Trust are walking out over job cuts and rising workloads, starting Monday 11 May.

The trust runs The Banovallum School and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Horncastle, as well as New York Primary, Frithville Primary and Huttoft Primary in the Boston and Alford areas. Staff from both the National Education Union and NASUWT are involved in the action.

The dispute is over redundancies among teachers of core subjects including English, Maths and Science. Staff say those who left were not replaced, pushing up workloads and leaving some pupils, particularly the most vulnerable, without specialist teaching.

One staff member said: "I personally feel betrayed and let down by the proposals."

The trust says only three teaching staff have been made redundant and that specialist teachers will continue delivering core subjects. It says it must act to close a funding gap caused by falling student numbers.

Strike action is planned from Monday 11 to Thursday 14 May. Parents should contact their child's school directly for information on any closures or changes to the school day.

The timing is a concern for more than just this week. Government research published in March 2025 found that Year 11 pupils with near-perfect attendance are almost twice as likely to achieve grade 5 in English and Maths GCSE as pupils attending just 90 to 95 per cent of the time.

The gap is stark. Among pupils who are rarely absent, 78 per cent pass at least five GCSEs including English and maths. That falls to 36 per cent among those who miss school regularly, and drops to just 5 per cent for those who are severely absent.

There is some hope in the data too. More than half of pupils who were frequently absent in Year 10 but improved their attendance in Year 11 still went on to pass five GCSEs. Attendance can be turned around, and the results follow.

For now, talks between the unions and the trust have not produced an agreement. Families at the affected schools should check directly with their school before Monday for the latest information.