Teachers in Cambridgeshire say the number of staff on strike this week confirms the strength of feeling in the profession.

Some say they have "had enough of being undervalued, stressed and overworked".

They are also unhappy about the "levels of paperwork, undue pressure from Ofsted and insufficient staffing". 

One teacher, from Cambridge, said: “The government's funding of support for children in need is significantly worrying and an indicator of their lack of commitment to “levelling up” - the gap has never been wider.

She continued: "Families are struggling, and though schools are doing everything they can to support, this is not enough, and it adds more to teachers' roles in schools.” 

Today teachers and parents from across the county are meeting at a Special Education Needs SEND) forum to share their concerns about the provision for this vulnerable group, and look for solutions. 

Organisers said in a statement: ”Children are not getting the right support or funding to meet their needs, and teachers are feeling angry about this.” 

Another teacher, who lives in Ramsey, said "Our commitment to the education and welfare of children has been taken for granted, and it is time to say 'no more'. I stand with a greater moral purpose, for my colleagues who deserve better.  

"I know the government makes choices about what to fund and by how much. I know it used to be different, and the funding is there for quality education. But at the moment funding education or making teaching workloads manageable is not a priority for this Government.” 

This action comes amidst statistics that show 40,000 teachers left the profession last year, while only 4,000 retired. 

The NEU is calling for negotiations with the Government to start again and says strike action is a "last resort".

The Department for Education has said further strike action would cause "real damage" to pupil learning and expressed its disappointment.

There have already been five national, and three regional strike days, since February by members of the NEU, which is UK's largest education union.