coronavirus | Schools Week

DfE closes covid attendance loophole 6 weeks into term

The government has closed an attendance reporting loophole six weeks into term that left officials “unable to get a grip” on the true scale of the pandemic’s disruption in schools. Thousands of absences may have been missed. Since Monday, all schools have been asked to provide data on Covid-19-related absences, using the Department for Education’s […]

School budgets ‘on a knife edge’ due to soaring supply staff costs

Schools are “on a knife edge” as the mounting costs of supply staff parachuted in to replace isolating teachers could leave them out of cash “by Christmas”. A survey from the NAHT school leaders’ union, based on more than 2,000 responses, has found schools are spending on average £2,454 more on supply staff than they […]

£140m of tuition catch-up cash remains unspent

The government is unlikely to deliver on its promise to provide £350 million in tuition catch-up cash this year. A Schools Week investigation has established that nearly £140 million – 40 per cent – of the promised funding remains unspent. This is yet more sleight of hand from government. Again, they’ve over-promised but under-delivered It’s […]

Coronavirus: Almost 1 in 10 schools now partially closed

Almost one in ten schools in England was partially closed as of last week, new government data shows. Attendance statistics published by the Department for Education show the proportion of state schools that were fully open fell to 90.8 per cent as of last Thursday, down from 92.4 per cent the week before. Eight per […]

Exams 2021: Most GCSEs and A-levels pushed back three weeks

Pupils will still sit one GCSE English and one GCSE maths exam before the summer half term next year, despite a move to push most other exams back by three weeks. The Department for Education has confirmed today that most GCSE and A-level exams will take place three weeks later than usual in 2021, to […]

No blanket closure for schools in ‘very high’ alert areas, PM confirms

Schools in areas with a “very high” Covid-19 alert will not be subject to blanket closures, the prime minister has confirmed. Boris Johnson told the House of Commons today that despite stricter curbs on socialising and other activities in so-called “tier three” areas, schools would remain open. The rolling out of a new triple tier […]

Oak National Academy lessons will ‘never be sold’

The Oak National Academy has pledged it will “never sell its lessons” after the government confirmed that its charity owners will retain the intellectual property, despite large public investment in the platform. Launched in April using content voluntarily contributed by teachers and schools, Oak quickly became a household name during the national lockdown, delivering millions […]

Schools take £900m Covid hit, but few get cash help

New figures show that the cost of Covid safety measures for schools across England has soared to almost £400 million. And in a “double whammy” on school budgets, missed income opportunities following the pandemic have now surpassed £500 million. Schools need the government to make good these unanticipated but necessary costs in order to protect […]

More schools partially closed, but attendance rises

The proportion of schools fully open to all pupils has fallen again, Department for Education analysis shows, but more pupils are attending school. According to new attendance data published today, 92 per cent of state schools were fully open as of last Thursday, down from 93 per cent the previous week. It means 8 per […]