TEACHERS at a second Newport school are going on strike as an angry backlash over staff restructuring plans gathers pace.

Almost 50 members of the NASUWT at Caerleon Comprehensive School will strike for three days next month, the union has confirmed.

And further days of strike action have been confirmed in February for NASUWT members at Llanwern High School, where teachers have already been on strike for a day earlier this month, and plan to strike again next week.

The Caerleon staff will strike on Thursday February 6, Tuesday February 11, and Wednesday February 12.

Forty-eight members of the NASUWT at Llanwern are planning to strike next Tuesday, January 28, and Thursday January 30 - and the newly announced dates are Tuesday February 11, Wednesday February 12, and Thursday February 13.

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Llanwern High headteacher Tracey Jarvis said next week's action would close the entire school for both days.

In a statement, Newport City Council expressed disappointment that NASUWT members had voted to strike.

"In the majority of cases strike action will result in a full or partial school closure, resulting in pupils losing important teaching and learning time which is essential to their education," a council spokeswoman said.

"This is also difficult for parents and carers who may need to consider time off work to care for their children.

"We are particularly concerned for those pupils who are studying for their GCSEs and A Level examinations. This is a critical time for Year 11 and 13 learners in particular."

Regarding the planned restructuring, the NASUWT has previously called upon the council to find "an alternative way forward which safeguards teachers’ jobs and upholds the provision of quality education for all pupils".

The proposed restructuring could lead to one compulsory redundancy at Llanwern High, and none at Caerleon Comprehensive, the council said.

But in a previous statement, NASUWT's Jane Setchfield said the union's members "should not be experiencing the distress and anxiety of not knowing what the future holds for them and their families".

The council said that if the strike action in February leads to a full school closure at Caerleon and Llanwern, the schools' headteachers and governing bodies will alert parents and carers via their schools' websites, and by sending messages home.