Striking teachers marched down the seafront in this academic year’s final bout of industrial action.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) in West Sussex walked through Worthing town centre and along the seafront as their bitter dispute over pay continues.

Ministers are being warned that industrial unrest could escalate in the autumn term unless there is movement on teachers’ salaries.

The Department for Education said the action would cause disruption to pupils and parents and result in the cancellation of children’s end-of-term events.

It is the second day of action this week following Wednesday’s strike which resulted in many schools being either fully closed or restricted access to certain groups of pupils.

The government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year and an average 4.5 per cent rise for staff next year after intensive talks with the education unions.

NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “No teacher wants to be taking strike action and this week’s strike action should not have been necessary.

“The responsibility for it lies at the door of the Prime Minister and the Education Secretary who continue to refuse to re-enter negotiations with education unions to reach a settlement on a fully funded pay increase for teachers.

“If left unaddressed this action will only escalate in the autumn.

“Four education unions are now balloting for action in the September term. This should speak volumes to government.

“Far from backing down, the stony silence from the Education Secretary has united the profession as never before.”

The government is following a policy of public pay restraint as part of a strategy to curb inflation, which has led to a series of disputes with workers.

The Department for Education insisted a “fair and reasonable” pay offer had been made.

A spokesman said: “This strike action will see the cancellation of end of term events and important transition days to secondary schools, impacting children and causing more disruption for parents.”

The DfE said it “hugely” valued the work of teachers and had listened to demands for a £2 billion increase in schools funding.