Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing teachers who are unwell on days of industrial action in the NHS to self-certify as unwell and not seek a note from a doctor in order to help relieve pressures on the NHS.

Sickness arrangements for teachers in England are covered by the ‘Conditions of Service for School Teachers in England and Wales’ (known as the Burgundy Book), and fall to individual employers to implement, which is normally the Local Authority or academy trust.

The vast majority of Local Authorities follow the terms of the Burgundy Book scheme, which is incorporated into their teachers’ contracts of employment. In some Local Authorities, local agreements improve upon the Burgundy Book scheme. Teachers who work in academies or free schools may also be covered by different arrangements, particularly if they joined the academy or free school after it changed status.