coronavirus | Schools Week

Budget 2021 a ‘missed opportunity’ with no extra funding for schools

This year’s budget has been described as a “missed opportunity” for education after it failed to provide additional cash for schools. Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget focused on measures to help the country recover economically from the pandemic, extending the furlough scheme until September and raising incentives to hire apprentices. But there was no extra funding […]

Data reveals huge variation in spring term school attendance across England

Attendance in schools has varied hugely across England this term, new data shows, with rates in the week before half term up to eight times higher in some parts of the country than in others. Analysis by Schools Week of government data on attendance by local authority area shows secondary attendance on February 11 ranged […]

School attendance rises to over 18% after half term

School attendance rose to over 18 per cent in the week after half term, with an increase in secondary attendance for the first time in over a month. The latest attendance data published by the Department for Education shows attendance on February 25 was at 18.3 per cent, up from 15.9 per cent on February […]

Don’t hand out Covid testing kits to pupils’ families, DfE tells schools

Schools should not distribute Covid testing kits to members of their pupils’ households, the Department for Education has said, following the announcement that families will now also qualify for free twice-weekly tests. On Sunday, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced that households with children of school-age will get free equipment to test […]

Williamson: Government ‘looking at’ how to get more schools into multi-academy trusts

The government wants to see “far more schools” in multi-academy trusts by 2025, and is “actively looking at how we can make that happen”, the education secretary has said. Gavin Williamson told the Foundation for Education Development summit this morning that partnerships between schools were “fundamental”, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. By […]

Remote education: Schools cut screen time to boost mental and physical health

Schools have introduced “comfort breaks” and reduced screen time to boost the mental and physical health of staff and pupils during remote education. Since the third lockdown began in January schools have had to provide remote education for most pupils but some have adapted their approach after feedback from staff, pupils and parents. Although all […]

Longer days and early appointments on cards as schools gear up for ‘mammoth’ Covid testing effort

School leaders are exploring staggered starts and extended days to ease the “mammoth logistical task” of mass Covid testing returning pupils. Boris Johnson announced on Monday that schools would begin reopening from March 8, with secondaries testing pupils three times on-site in their first two weeks back. Some leaders said that larger schools would struggle, […]

National Tutoring Programme: Schools could pay 90% of session costs within three years as DfE ‘tapers’ subsidies

Government plans to “taper” subsidies for tuition delivered by its flagship National Tutoring Programme could leave schools having to pay 90 per cent of the cost of sessions within three years. The Department for Education has published a £62 million tender for a supplier to run the NTP between May this year and next August. […]

New £302m ‘Covid recovery premium’ to be allocated based on pupil premium

The government’s new £302 million “Covid recovery premium” will be allocated to schools on the same basis as the pupil premium, the Department for Education has confirmed. The fund was one of several initiatives announced by the government today to help pupils catch up. It is supposed to help schools to “bolster summer provision for […]