STAFF in a school in south Wales hit back after their headteacher blamed the cancellation of a rewards trip for pupils on their strike action.

Teachers at the Llantwit Major High School in Glamorgan denied the claims made in an email sent to parents.

NASUWT national official for Wales, Neil Butler, said they set strike dates “to avoid examinations and has tried hard to do as little damage as possible to the children’s education.

“By organising a trip on a strike day, it looks as though the employer is playing games to turn parents against the teachers. This has to stop.”

NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said: “If leaders can get back around the table with us and agree those dispute resolution requirements, this can all be resolved.”

The teachers’ union said it had informed the school back in April of the potential strike on July 16 but would nevertheless move it to ensure any such trip would go ahead.

In a joint statement Llantwit Major School and the Vale of Glamorgan Council said: “Last week we met again with representatives of the NEU and NASUWT trade union. The meeting was facilitated by Acas who we have asked to act as a neutral party to help us find a way to end the current dispute.

“The ongoing NASUWT strike action means we have to make arrangements for the days in which staff will be absent. Sadly, this included cancelling our end of year reward trips.

“Work to plan these began in September 2025. The trips were confirmed to staff and parents in March 2026, well ahead of the NASUWT setting their proposed strike dates in April.

“We welcome the suggestion by the NASUWT that this date will now be changed to enable the trips to go ahead.

“Our priority is reaching an agreement that allows us to begin working together to respond to the issues set out in the recent Estyn inspection. We hope the union’s concession on this date means we are now closer to achieving this.”