FIVE of the borough's schools were forced to close their gates yesterday as thousands of the capital's teachers staged a one-day strike in protest at the government's 'inadequate' London living allowance.

The NUT members are arguing that the 3.5 percent increase in extra money they get to work in London, (which for the borough rises from £1,974 to £2,043 from April 1st) is inadequate to meet expensive house prices and living costs they face by taking posts in the capital.

Of the borough's primary schools, Collis School in Teddington, Heathfield Infants and St Marys and St Peters CofE in Teddington all completely closed for the day. Grey Court School in Ham was the only secondary school to close completely.

Most of the other schools in the borough were partly affected as over 300 teachers were expected to be involved in the strike.

Richmond upon Thames Council said last week that they regretted the need for action but recognised the strength of feeling behind it and had worked alongside representatives of the borough's head teachers forums to help schools finalise their arrangements for yesterday.

The head at Grey Court School, Tina Haveland-Smith, said that as all their NUT teachers were striking, and the school was closed all day.

She said the parents evening on Thursday was going to go ahead but would not be attended by the NUT teachers.

She said: "Although we regret that we do have to close the school for the students, this is because we wouldn't be able to guarantee that they would be taught by their proper teachers for every single lesson and with the possibility of students coming and going at different times of the day, many of them by bus from other areas I thought it would be too dangerous.

"The school will open as normal on Friday.''

At Orleans Park School in Richmond Road, Twickenham, normal lessons took place for Year 7 pupils but those in Years eight and nine had no lessons that day and were instructed not to attend school.

The GCSE Mathematics Module Exam for Year 10 pupils went ahead as arranged. Year 11 had some, but not all of their lessons as normal.

Headmaster Gareth Long at Christ's School, Richmond said that two of his year groups did not attend school due to strike action on Thursday with three year groups unaffected in their usual classes.

Shene School in East Sheen said they did have some NUT teachers who would be striking on Thursday.

Education Secretary Estelle Morris issued a last-gasp appeal to NUT members on Wednesday, asking them not to strike.

She said: ''I hope that the NUT, even at this late stage, sees sense and calls off their strike. It will achieve nothing except to damage children's education and the image of the teaching profession.''

She added that she was prepared to discuss the issues of London living allowances, but said that her hand would not be forced by industrial action.

A spokesman for the NUT said that the strike would 'send a powerful message' to the government about the depth of anger felt by London teachers.

''If education authorities have got their figures right, it shows just how deeply teachers are concerned about the damage that is being done to their pupils' education,'' said the spokesman.