TEACHERS' industrial action will severely disrupt many schools in the borough today (Thursday).

After an 86 per cent ballot to strike by NUT members last week, many primary and secondary schools in Wanstead, South Woodford, Woodford Green and other parts of Redbridge are completely closing or will be running skeleton classes.

Members of the National Union of Teachers are protesting at what it says is the Government's failure to improve the cost-of-living allowances paid to teachers working in London and the surrounding areas.

From April 1, the allowance for teachers in Redbridge is set to increase from £1,974 to £2,043 in comparison to the £6,000 given to the police.

The hardest hit schools in the borough will be Gilbert Colvin Primary in Clayhall, Gearies Infants in Gants Hill, Mossford Green Primary in Barkingside, Wells Primary in Woodford Green, Hatton Special needs schools in South Woodford, Wanstead High. These will be completely closed for the day.

However, many schools are staying open but are running only a handful of classes.

Redbridge's cabinet member for education Cllr Richard Newcombe said he sympathised with the issues expressed by the teachers and said that Redbridge are looking at ways to "retain" and "recruit" their teaching staff.

He added: "Each individual school in the borough is managing their own situation and the LEA are monitoring the practical implications of the strike."

Wanstead High, which teaches 1,500 pupils, is closing the main school apart from the sixth form.

Headteacher George Ferris believes that the issues of the teachers are worthwhile but feel that the NUT could have looked at the alternatives before striking.

Assistant headteacher Philip Tootell added:"We are closing because there aren't adequate numbers of staff to teach classes and we have to look at the health and safety issue."

Schools in the borough that will are running limited classes are:

Beal High and Caterham High school will only have the sixth form open; Hainault Forest High is only open for year 11; Woodbridge High only open for exam classes (yrs 9,11,12,13); King Solomon High only open for yr 11 and sixth form; Aldersbrook Primary in Wanstead is closing 11 classes; Churchfield Infants closing seven classes and juniors is closing three classes; Fairlop is closing 11 classes; Gearies juniors is closing seven classes; Oakdale Infants closing four; Redbridge Infants is closing one class and juniors closing five: Roding Primary is closing 14; Our Lady of Lourdes is closing four classes and St Anthony's Catholic Primary is closing 10 classes.