Rail strikes: 'Coventry pupils face disruption' during GCSEs

With few trains serving Coventry this week, teacher Debbie Hayton said pupils would face disruption during their exams

Rail strikes will cause "massive" disruption for pupils taking their GCSE exams this week, a teacher says.

Debbie Hayton, who teaches science at King Henry VIII School in Coventry, said some pupils relied on trains to get there.

"You can't use the rail strike as an excuse not to come into school - if you do not come for an exam, you fail that exam," she explained.

Members of the RMT union are striking over job cuts, pay and pensions.

About 40,000 members walked out on Tuesday, with about 20% of trains left running and limited services forecast either side of strike days which are also set to include Thursday and Saturday.

Ms Hayton said she had sympathy with the strikers as there was "no point going on strike" if no-one was "going to notice".

But she added the action would be a "big issue for a lot of families" with children who had far to travel to try to secure qualifications.

The RMT union said "massive cuts" from the rail network meant thousands of job losses, reduced pensions and some staff being forced to accept salary cuts.

General Secretary Mick Lynch on Monday blamed the "dead hand" of government for members' strike action after negotiations failed between the parties.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC there was a "pay offer on the table, the door is open", and the prime minister urged rail bosses and unions to agree a deal.