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22 April 2026

Tag: COVID-19

Long read: Schools let down by government’s hot air on ventilation

Has England been left flapping in the wind as other countries race ahead with ventilation policies for schools? Schools Week investigates… The government’s “minimal” and “negligent” approach to ventilation in England’s classrooms is failing to protect pupils, say scientists and campaigners, including a leading epidemiologist. Instead, they say, it should immediately provide air filters. The […]

Covid: Government ‘allowing mass infection of children’, scientists warn

Scientists have warned the government’s back to school plans are “reckless” and allow the “mass infection of children”. An open letter, published by the British Medical Journal today, accuses education secretary Gavin Williamson of endangering the health of hundreds of thousands of pupils and not following medical advice. The letter, signed by scientists, parents and […]

Teachers not at increased risk of severe Covid, study finds

Teachers and their households were not at an increased risk of experiencing severe Covid or being hospitalised from the virus during the last academic year, a new study has found. Researchers say findings from a Wellcome Trust study published by the British Medical Journal today should “reassure those who are engaged in face-to-face teaching”. They […]

School attendance data to be published fortnightly from September

The government will only publish school attendance data every two weeks from September, it has emerged. It comes as government scientific advisers warned a “high prevalence” of Covid-19 was “highly likely” to be seen in schools by the end of September, and urged the government to “plan for this eventuality”. Data on pupil attendance and […]

DfE raids own coffers for a tenth of £3.1bn catch-up cash

More than a tenth of the government’s £3.1 billion education catch-up funding is coming from existing Department for Education budgets, ministers have admitted. Education secretary Gavin Williamson has provided a full breakdown of how much money will be spent across various education recovery pledges over the coming years, after MPs demanded answers in June. In […]

Vaccines for teens will take place in schools if approved, says minister

Vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds will be administered in schools if their use for that age group is given the go-ahead, Nick Gibb has confirmed. But the government believes schools will not need additional resources should vaccinations of younger teenagers go ahead, though NHS capacity would be needed. The schools minister confirmed today that government […]