Teachers are preparing to walk out of classrooms and go on strike next week - for the first time in 21 years -in a fight for better pay.

Although it remains unclear exactly how many Oxfordshire schools will be affected by the National Union of Teachers' (NUT) one-day pay strike on Thursday, a large number of the county's 2,750 union members are expected to take part in the walkout.

The union is planning a march through Oxford city centre from the Town Hall at 1.30pm.

According to Brenda Williams, secretary of the Oxfordshire branch of the NUT, a number of primary schools in Oxford are likely to close, including St Christopher's Primary School, in Temple Road, Cowley; East Oxford Primary School, in Union Street; and St Ebbe's Primary School, in Whitehouse Road, Grandpont.

She said: "Many more are sure to follow and secondary schools will of course be affected too, but with schools closed for the Easter holidays it has not been easy to contact all of our members, so we don't have a clear idea yet just what the effect will be."

Some schools affected may remain open but will have to cancel some lessons.

This is likely to happen at St John Fisher Primary School, in Sandy Lane West, Littlemore, and at North Hinksey Primary School, according to the union.

Mrs Williams said: "We don't want children to lose a day's education but in the grand scheme of things there has to be a point at which we identify what's happening to the teaching profession.

"Teachers do an important job and deserve to be paid appropriately.

"If we wish to attract top graduates into the profession then we have to do something about pay. Statistics show 50 per cent of newly-qualified teachers have left the profession within three years.

"There are other issues, such as workload, which play a part in this, but obviously pay is a huge factor."

Gawain Little is a teacher at St Ebbe's Primary School, in Oxford, where all 10 full-time teaching staff are NUT members and will strike.

Mr Little, who has been teaching for five years, said: "A letter was sent out to parents before the Easter holidays informing them the school will be closed for the day."

He said he was striking "for the future of the education system", adding: "The more we see teachers' pay eroded, the less we will see people going into the profession. The long-term effects are immensely damaging."

Oxfordshire County Council said it could not provide a list of schools affected by the action.

Andrew Butler, County Hall's head of human resources for schools, said: "It is up to headteachers at individual schools to take decisions on whether schools close or not, depending on the individual sets of circumstances they are presented with."

Members of the NUT voted by three to one in favour of a strike over the Government's offer of a 2.45 per cent pay rise. The union leadership says any pay increase should at least match the retail prices index inflation rate, which was 3.8 per cent last month.

Are you a teacher preparing to strike next week? If so, call our news desk on 01865 425500.