Last-ditch talks were being held on Monday to try to prevent a strike by teachers that threatens to affect millions of children across the country.
Leaders of the National Education Union were meeting again with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan after previous talks failed to break the deadlock.
If the talks are not successful, up to 4.5 million children could be unable to go to school on Wednesday as teachers walk out in the dispute over pay.
On the same day there will be strikes by university lecturers, train drivers, civil servants, bus drivers and security guards, making it the biggest day of industrial action for years.
The NEU said 300,000 of its members will take part in the strike across 24,000 schools. It said 32,000 members have joined the NEU since it announced strike action.
Speaking about today’s talks, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “This is the last chance to avoid the strike on Wednesday. However, on Friday the Department for Education failed to meet the deadline to give its evidence to the teachers’ pay review body.
“We can only assume this is because they know that their recommended increase for teachers’ pay will not be acceptable to our members.”
It comes after the Education Secretary urged staff to notify their headteacher if they plan to join Wednesday’s strike. Ms Keegan said notice of which teachers would be walking out would help schools avoid “unnecessary disruption”.
Joint general secretary of the NEU Mary Bousted said: “It is clear this is a Government unwilling to recognise its role in the recruitment and retention crisis which has seen a third of teachers leaving within five years of qualifying.
“The Government cannot expect strikes to be averted unless it brings forward concrete proposals for increasing pay.”
A spokeswoman for the DfE said: “Our goal remains to keep as many children in schools as possible, therefore ensuring schools are given as much notice as possible is vital.”
