CHILDREN at Bridport Primary School will get the day off on Thursday when striking teachers mean the school has to close.

No one from the school wanted to comment except to confirm the closure because of lack of staff.

The National Union of Teachers is taking strike action to protest against proposed government reforms.

They will be joined in a day of action by other public sector workers who are members of Unison.

Dorset divisional secretary of the NUT, Geoff Cooke, said members are also concerned about increasing size classes, redundancies, competition for school places and changes to the curriculum.

He added: “Strike action for the third time this school year is unprecedented and reflects teachers’ anger over the refusal of Michael Gove to have proper discussions about divisive reforms.”

Bournemouth NUT chief David Morgan said: “We are heading for a catastrophe in the future because we won’t be able to recruit and retain teachers unless conditions improve.

“Children will be taught by people who are not qualified for the job and that is not what we want. The main areas for concern are pay, pensions and workload.”

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said: “We will be doing everything we can to maintain essential services. Our priority will be to continue to provide services for the most vulnerable. We will be regularly updating residents via dorsetforyou.com. Schools should be informing parents directly if headteachers and governors decide to close.”

The Department for Education said there was "no justification" for striking.