Schools across the area are closed as teachers stage a one-day strike over pay and pensions.

Members  of the NUT and NASUWT in Waltham Forest and Redbridge have walked out, with the majority of schools either closed or offering limited lessons.

Half of schools in Waltham Forest are closed, with picket lines at Leyton Sixth Form College in Essex Road, Kelmscott School in Markhouse Road, Walthamstow, and Frederick Bremer Secondary School in Siddeley Road, Walthamstow.

In Redbridge 60 schools are affected and 400 are closed across London.

The unions object to proposals by Education Secretary Michael Gove to bring in performance-related pay, increase workloads and change pensions.

The government has voiced disapproval over the strike, saying it will disrupt learning and damage the reputation of teachers.

The NUS London regional secretary, Bob Stapley, said: “Here’s a message for Michael Gove: there’s no use taking solace in the very small number of schools not taking part in the strikes. He has to engage with the majority.”