Up to 90 per cent of schools in parts of London were forced to send pupils home yesterday (October 18th), as unions led teachers in industrial action over pay, pensions and working conditions.

The strikes by the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) had been announced more than two weeks ago, but thousands of working parents needed to take time off work or arrange emergency childcare, reports the Evening Standard.

In Hounslow, only eight out of 70 schools opened fully and only seven out of 75 managed to stay open in Redbridge, showing the strength of feeling among teachers, who feel that the government has failed to listen to their grievances.

People in teaching jobs in London are particularly concerned about the introduction of performance-related pay and changes to pensions that they say would result in them working longer hours and retiring with less money.

Chris Keates of the NASUWT said that even though working parents had been disrupted for one day, they would sympathise with the reasons behind the strikes.

"We deeply regret the fact that any parents are being inconvenienced, but the responsibility lies with the secretary of state," she added.

When speaking to the BBC, Ms Keates dismissed accusations that teachers should not be allowed to strike. She said there was "nothing unprofessional about lawfully showing your anger and frustration at the attacks on teachers that actually are attacks on children and young people".

Tristram Hunt, the shadow education secretary, also placed the blame at the door of the government, stating: "Strikes are a sign of [Michael] Gove's failure to have a constructive relationship with the profession."

As a teacher or somebody looking for a teaching job, how do you think unions and government can reconcile their differences? Will there need to be more strikes?

Let us know your views.

A man who introduced Japanese lessons to Devon has been honoured as secondary teacher of the year at an awards ceremony in London to highlight the best of the education sector.

The Teaching Awards are known as the Oscars of the industry and Crispin Chambers' foreign language lessons at Tavistock College, a comprehensive in the West Country, were highlighted for their capacity to be inspirational, achieve good results and build cultural links with Japan.

Mr Chambers' local mayor has already said that the teacher's achievements deserve a statue in the local area as thanks to the teacher's efforts, there are 1,200 pupils studying Japanese at the secondary school, making it one of the biggest Japanese departments in the country and Tavistock has annual exchange visits to Tokyo.

Back in the 90s, non-traditional foreign languages subjects such as Japanese and Chinese were restricted to the most able pupils in independent schools and Mr Chambers explained that nobody believed that Japanese would take off like it has done at his school.

He believes the ability to speak Japanese is a huge advantage, allowing pupils to study in the country and gain an edge over other job candidates in areas such as banking, medicine and law.

Mr Chambers's first learned to teach in Japan and said the country shows huge respect to teachers as it is seen as a "pleasure to study" in far eastern culture.

"Parents would thank you in the street for teaching their children," he commented, adding that the role of teaching in the UK should also be recognised for its importance to society.

There were 24,000 nominations for this year's Teaching Awards, with London teacher Anoria Simmons from Devonshire Hill Primary School, Weir Hall Road, Tottenham picking up the Teacher of the Year in a Primary School Award.

Do people in teaching jobs need more recognition for the good work they do? Let us know your views?

No matter where graduates look for a teaching job - be it London, Surrey, Essex or even further afield - it can be hard to find a role without any experience to put on a CV.

To remedy this and help pupils in deprived areas of Northern Ireland, a new scheme has been set up to give teaching graduates short-term employment and organisers believe the initiative is having a positive effect.

So far, almost 200 of the 270 two-year teaching posts have been filled and newly-qualified teachers are already helping to improve literacy and numeracy levels in the country.

Alison Smyth from the Western Board, which was given the task of matching graduates to schools, said the next step would be another recruitment campaign after the mid-term break.

"We have been interviewing the young teachers and it's great that we're in the position now to have so many of them employed," she told the BBC.

Both primary and secondary teaching jobs have been created by the scheme, with all post-primary, non-selective schools receiving at least one new teacher, while a selected group of primary schools also benefited from the scheme.

It has been funded by the Department of Education and is set to end in August 2015, but even though the teachers taking part in the scheme will not be guaranteed a job at their school when the money runs out, the idea has been praised by graduates. 

David Kearney, one of the newly-qualified teachers, said: "Unfortunately the nature of supply work is that it's not guaranteed and there were times you were waiting for a phone call.

"This is not a long-term fix but it's great to give young teachers a chance to develop their skills.

"It puts us in a better position to apply for permanent jobs in the future."

As someone looking for a teaching job in the south-east, do you think this is a good idea? Could it extend to other areas?

The deputy prime minister has added further fire to the idea that education mismanagement may exist in the current coalition government.

People in teaching jobs in London and the south-east took to the streets in industrial action last week, insisting the government's reforms were bad for the future of education and now Nick Clegg has shed some light on the divisions within the coalition by insisting that all teachers should be qualified and the national curriculum should be taught in every school.

Speaking to Sky News, the Lib Dem leader said his criticism of the "ideological" measures imposed by Conservative education secretary Michael Gove was not a government "crisis" merely a "perfectly sincere difference of opinion".

"Of course, there are tensions and pinch points. We are not identical parties," he said.

Mr Clegg explained the Conservatives do not want free schools and academies to have any "basic standards" to apply to them, while he believes that there needs to be a balance and some sort of unification between all the education institutions in England.

Last week, Lib Dem schools minister David Laws defended the use and performance of unqualified teachers in classrooms and his party leader said: "David Laws is right that that is the policy of the Department for Education. He is quite right in stating that is the present approach."

Tomorrow (October 24th) Mr Clegg will clarify his party's approach to education in a speech at a London school and although details are unclear at the moment, he insists he is proud of the Lib Dem's work over the last three years to increase school autonomy via the academies programme.

He believes the greater independence allows school leaders and heads to take responsibility in those areas where they know what is best for their pupils.

Are Mr Clegg's views clear? Will ministers ever get education policy right? Let us know your thoughts on the subject.

People in secondary teaching jobs in London appear to be getting the best out of their classes as new figures show that pupils in the capital are more likely to go to university than their peers anywhere else in the UK.

A report from the Higher Education Funding Council for England found young people in London are 43 per cent more likely to study for a degree than their counterparts in the north-east of England, which was the area with the lowest amount of undergraduates.

The regional variations were part of a wider analysis of the changing patterns of young people who go to university, which examined trends between 1998-99 and 2011-12.

London had the highest levels of university participation back in 1988-99 (35 per cent), but this had still improved dramatically by 2011-12, when the proportion of pupils going to university had risen to 48 per cent.

Where London teachers have performed admirably is helping youngsters from disadvantaged areas go on to study at university. In 1998-99, youngsters in the capital's poorer low participation boroughs were the least likely in the country to go to university, but by 2011-12 they are at the top of the regional league table. According to the report, 23 per cent of youngsters in London living in poorer areas now go on to study a degree.

In fact, the study shows that London schools account for more than half of all the extra disadvantaged entrants brought into higher education across England between 1998-99 and 201-12.

Professor Les Ebdon, head of the Office for Fair Access, said there had been "sustained progress" in increasing participation in higher education, but warned further improvement could be made with the process beginning at primary level.

"This means encouraging children from an early age to think about higher education as an option, supporting teenagers as they make key decisions, and working with employers to reach out to potential mature students," he added.

Is there any more London schools and teachers can do to help their pupils into further education? Let us know your views.

Days after the government said that school league tables may be misleading, Nick Clegg has outlined plans to set up a "champions league" of head teachers in a bid to help failing schools in England.

Speaking at a London school, the deputy prime minister said staff who have a lot of experience in a secondary teaching job would join a "pool of top talent" which could move around the country putting out fires at a moment's notice.

The idea is set to become a reality from the start of the next academic year and in the meantime the government would create a "programme to get outstanding leaders into the schools that need them the most".

Before he outlined his party's education policy in the address, Mr Clegg had trialled several parts of his speech in the media, especially the Lib Dem's stance on state-funded but autonomous free schools.

He acknowledged "differences of opinion, some strongly held", but reiterated his view that these schools should follow the national curriculum, guarantee food standards and employ only qualified teachers.

The party would not sack any unqualified teachers currently working in schools, but they would need to gain teaching qualifications while they were working in classrooms.

Since the coalition relaxed the rules on qualifications for teaching jobs, the number of unqualified teachers in free schools and academies has gone up from 2,200 in 2010 to 5,300.

Labour's shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt reacted to the speech by stating: "Nick Clegg will be judged on what he does, not what he says. Whatever he says about free schools today, the truth is this divisive policy is his - enacted by his Tory-led government because of his help and support."

As a qualified candidate looking for a teaching job, how do you feel about elite pools of education staff and under-qualified teachers?

Share your thoughts with us.

People looking for teaching jobs in London may be interested to hear that Boris Johnson has said free schools should be able to employ who they want - regardless of the qualifications candidates hold.

The mayor of London told the BBC that some of the greatest teachers in the world do not have all the formal qualifications that are required to educate in English state schools.

His comments appear to directly contradict those of deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who used his speech at a London school yesterday to assert the Lib Dem view that all free school teachers must be qualified to ensure basic standards.

"I think you need to be flexible, look at the individual and see what they have got to offer the pupils," said the mayor.

"I think back to my own childhood and the people who taught me and many of them didn't have an educational qualification at all, some of them were in Japanese prisoner of war camps ... and they were fantastic."

The role of free school teaching jobs in London has been under the spotlight since a student who was still studying for her postgraduate certificate in education was employed as head teacher of a free primary school. She has since gone on to quit her post after only four months in the job.

Elsewhere in the UK, there was also controversy as the Al-Madinah free school in Derby was deemed inadequate by Ofsted inspectors and Labour education secretary Tristram Hunt said there will be a call for a vote in Parliament next week on teacher qualifications, as the quality of teaching makes the biggest difference to learning.

Who is right? Can unqualified teachers perform the role as well or better than those who have been studying for the vocation? How do you feel about the mayor's comments if you have spent the past 12 months or longer preparing yourself for life as a qualified teacher?

Let us know your views on the subject before it is debated in the House of Commons.

Teachers in England have suspended their next stage of industrial action after ministers agreed to discuss the dispute.

Earlier this month, people working in teaching jobs in London and the south-east took to the streets of the capital to show the government they wanted to negotiate about pay, pensions and working conditions and two of the biggest teaching unions had planned to stage a further one-day strike before Christmas.

However, the National Union of Teachers and the NASUWT have postponed the action until they hear what the government has to say, with both unions releasing a statement announcing education secretary Michael Gove had said he was "willing to discuss a basis for genuine talks".

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: "The public demonstration of the anger and frustration of teachers and the commitment of members to the action have secured the prospect of talks with the secretary of state.

"We look forward to securing progress in these talks as quickly as possible."

Her counterpart at the NUT Christine Blower said the regional strikes have demonstrated to the government the strength of feeling and concerns about the changes being made to the education profession.

One of the major reforms that has angered teachers is the move by Mr Gove to bring in new pay schemes, which would mean teachers were remunerated on the basis of how their pupils perform in tests. Teachers believe it is a tougher version of performance-related pay and unions say it is an attack on national pay structures. There is also the question of how the government expects to pay for the bill should all teachers perform to high standards.

As a teacher or somebody looking for a teaching job, do you feel that this is the first step in reaching an amicable solution to education reform? What concessions will need to be made for a long-standing agreement to be reached? 

Let us know your views on the subject that is dominating the educational agenda.

People looking for secondary teaching jobs in the south-east of England may be interested in knowing that a new free school in the area will consult with the public next month ahead of its planned launch in 2014.

Dv8 Academy is set to open its doors at the start of the next academic year and will begin a six-month consultation with the public on November 1st, reports the East London and West Essex Guardian Series.

It is one of four new free schools announced by the Department of Education for the Waltham Forest area earlier this year and part of the formal process is to hear concerns of the local residents prior to opening. Issues set to be discussed over the coming weeks include proposed admission arrangements, the school’s curriculum and its final location.

Dv8 Academy hopes to specialise in creative classes and the initial intake is expected to be 300 students, although this will increase to 400 after the first year.

The status of teachers in free schools has been a hot topic in the education sector of late, with several important political figures wading into the debate. High-profile Conservatives such as the mayor of London Boris Johnson and education secretary Michael Gove believe that free schools should have the autonomy to employ who they want in their classrooms - even if staff do not have recognised teaching qualifications. 

This led to a free primary school in London appointing a postgraduate student with no previous teaching experience as its head. The appointment was widely criticised and the teacher in question quit her role within four months. 

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg recently said he would like all teaching staff in free schools to have fully-qualified status to ensure a basic level across all educational establishments in the UK. 

If you are looking for a teaching job in London, do you feel that you should be competing for positions with non-qualified candidates? Let us know your thoughts on the subject.

CHANGES TO FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS RISKS DRIVING SEN TEACHERS INTO PRIVATE SECTOR, WARNS RECRUITMENT AGENCY

Changes to the law which will give parents the right to buy-in specialist special educational needs (SEN) and disabled care for children from next year is likely to drive talented special needs teachers into the private sector.

That’s the warning from one of the leading educational recruitment agencies, TLTP Education (The London Teaching Pool), which has been recruiting SEN staff for state and private schools for nearly ten years. The agency says that with the closure of many state-funded SEN units it also foresees problems in the short term accommodating young people who cannot be placed in mainstream educational establishments.

“The feedback that we are getting from our candidates is that whilst these reforms are broadly positive there may be some disconnect between the provision that parents feel their children need and that which their schools and SEN teachers may feel they need,” explains TLTP managing director Darryl Mydat.

 “In addition, the closure of many state-funded units will continue to drive specialist SEN provision much more into the private sector. In turn, this means that much of the talent and expertise that has been available within state schools is understandably going to follow the vacancies into private and independent facilities. It is to be hoped that this does not adversely impact on children already in the state system and requiring SEN support.

That, says Mydat, should be a cause for some concern given recent Department of Education figures showing more that than 1.5 million children have special educational needs. In total, almost one in five (18.7%) of children - around 1.55 million - were considered to have some type of special need (SEN) in 2012/13.

Under the new rulesparents will be given the power to control personal budgets for their children with severe, profound or multiple health and learning - meaning they can choose the expert support that is right for their child, instead of local authorities being the sole provider.

“It remains to be seen how effective this reform of SEN will be in forcing education, health and social care teams to plan services together. We have seen too many times instances where failures of this kind have caused young people to fall through the cracks.”

TLTP Education are SEN recruitment specialists supplying the sector with qualified teachers, teaching assistants, support staff, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.