Freddie Whittaker | Schools Week

Coronavirus: Ministers accused of ‘abdicating responsibility’ over schools reopening plan

Ministers have been accused of “abdicating responsibility and handing it to heads” over their contentious plans for some pupils to return to school next month. School leaders have been told to prepare for the potential return of pupils in reception, year 1 and year 6 to their classrooms on June 1. The guidance reads less […]

Coronavirus: Borrow teachers from other schools or use TAs to address shortages, schools told

Schools should use teachers from other schools or “experienced” teaching assistants if they don’t have enough staff to teach returning pupils from June 1, new Department for Education guidance states. The DfE has this evening published a “planning guide for primary schools”, which sets out a step-by-step approach to reopening schools. The DfE claims it […]

Coronavirus: Cabinet minister promises to ‘comfort’ unions as tensions grow over schools plan

A cabinet minister has said the government will work with unions to provide “as much comfort as we possibly can” over its plans to begin reopening schools next month. Tensions between the government and unions have been steadily growing since Boris Johnson announced it was the government’s aim for reception, year 1 and year 6 […]

Coronavirus: Unions urge government to ‘step back’ from June 1 school reopening plan

Unions representing hundreds of thousands of school teachers, leaders and support staff have called on the government to “step back” from its plan to have some pupils return to schools on June 1. A joint statement from unions in the Trades Union Congress with education members, including teachers’ unions the NEU and NASUWT, leadership union […]

Coronavirus: 8 things we learned from Gavin Williamson on plans to reopen schools

Gavin Williamson has defended plans to begin the phased reopening of schools on June 1, hitting out at the “scaremongering” of those raising concerns. Summoned by MPs to the House of Commons to face questions about the proposal today, Williamson said the plans are a “sensible and responsible” approach to getting more children back to […]

Coronavirus: School attendance rate climbs to 2.4%

The proportion of pupils attending school rose to 2.4 per cent in the middle of last week, new figures show. Weekly attendance figures published by the government show there were 223,000 pupils in England’s schools last Wednesday (May 6), up from 197,000 (2.1 per cent) at the same point the week before. The data also […]

Coronavirus: Largest heads’ union says it wasn’t consulted over June 1 return plan

The country’s largest headteachers’ union was not consulted on the government’s proposal to allow certain year groups to return to school on June 1, its general secretary has revealed. Paul Whiteman, the leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, which mostly represents primary school leaders, told the Parliamentary education committee this morning that conversations […]

Coronavirus: Tests for pupils with symptoms, no PPE needed and classes of 15

Pupils eligible to return to school on June 1 will have “access” to coronavirus testing, the Department for Education has said. The department has finally published additional information for schools, more than 24 hours after Boris Johnson announced the government’s intention to have some primary pupils return to school as early as June 1. The […]

ONS figures reveal 65 COVID-related deaths in education workforce

At least 65 education sector workers with COVID-19 have died, new statistics show. Data published today by the Office for National Statistics provides information on deaths involving COVID-19 across England and Wales, broken down by occupation. It shows at least 65 education staff have died with coronavirus, of which 43 were women and 22 were […]