Parents forced to take time off work for childcare during teachers’ strikes are planning for a possible six-day weekend.

The majority of state schools in England were closed to some or all pupils on Thursday and are expected to close for further strikes after the Bank Holiday on Tuesday, forcing tens of thousands of parents to take time off work or find alternative childcare.

Some parents have said they are planning to withdraw children from school on Friday amid the disruption, resulting in a six-day weekend for families.

A survey of almost 300 parents by UsForThem, the campaign group, found that around a fifth of respondents said they did not plan to send their children to school on Friday.

Sam Strickland, the head of The Duston School in Northampton, said he expects more than one in 10 pupils to be absent on Friday.

“I think the timing of the strikes coinciding with a weekend and a Bank Holiday could inspire some families to think that this is an opportunity to take a, relatively speaking, cheaper holiday abroad, with their child or children potentially only missing one official day of school,” he said.

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