About 50 schools will be closed or partially closed by striking teachers in West Cheshire tomorrow (Wednesday).

Some pupils are being asked to stay home because the National Union of Teachers (NUT) is taking action countrywide against increased pension contributions and excess workload.

In Cheshire West there will be nine full closures and 39 partial closures but 91 schools will remain open. Cheshire West and Chester Council is awaiting information from six schools.

In addition, the borough’s 15 academies and two free schools do not notify the local education authority but respond directly to the Department for Education.

Among the schools facing full closure are Dee Banks Special School and Eccleston CE Primary in Chester and primaries Cambridge Road, Woodlands, Whitby Heath, Woodfall and Neston in the Ellesmere Port area plus Whitegate CE and Moulton in Northwich.

Greg Foster, NUT division secretary for Cheshire West, said the extra pension contribution together with a two year pay freeze followed by a 1% rise meant teachers had suffered a 15% pay cut after allowing for inflation. In addition, a Department for Education survey revealed primary school teachers were working almost 60 hour weeks.

He said: “We are facing a situation where two in five teachers are leaving the profession within five years. You are getting more and more people who want to start a family but don’t have time for a personal life.”

Mr Foster added: “Most schools will be affected by the strike to one degree or other. Parents will be affected unfortunately.”

He said teachers were also disgruntled that they would be forced to work until the age of 68 or older and were unhappy at the introduction of performance-related pay.

Cllr Mark Stocks, executive member for education and children at Tory-controlled CWaC, said: “Obviously our first consideration is the welfare of the children and young people but anything that interferes with their education is to be regretted.”