Three of the borough's primary schools will be shut on Thursday and another 15 will be partially closed due to strike action by hundreds of teachers.

At the same time seven of the borough's secondary schools will be partially closed with five offering remote learning as seen during the Covid lockdowns.

The net effect is that parents across the borough will have to give up work commitments to care for youngsters whose lessons are being disrupted.

The figures come from Richmond Borough Council which has chosen not to identify the schools that are closed due to the industrial action.

It said that some 230 teachers are on strike in primary schools.

The industrial action over a bid to tackle a fall in teacher pay, when compared to rising bills, is part of a series of rolling strikes this week which are understood to have involved some 200,000 teachers across the country

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: "I think a majority of schools will be affected by the dispute - some of them with full closures and many more with partial closures.

"Some secondary schools will be completely closed, others will have particular year groups in and a similar pattern in lots of lots of primary schools."

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Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: "As a government, we have made a serious offer to the leaders of the National Education Union and Royal College of Nursing: pause this week's strikes, get round the table and talk about pay, conditions and reforms.

"It is hugely disappointing the NEU has thus far refused this serious offer and has not joined the Royal College of Nursing in calling off strikes."

Richmond Council said: "All schools have been in communication with their parents and caregivers to explain the arrangements that are being made to ensure the safety of all the children as far as possible during the periods of the strike.

"Schools have given information to parents on how to access warm hubs, and arrangements made for those eligible for free school meals to be supported with a packed lunch or food vouchers."