lockdown | Schools Week

Email attacks: Don’t lock down unless police say, DfE tells schools

The message comes after schools in three counties locked down over emails threatening violence to pupils and staff

Williamson provided wine and mince pies for DfE lockdown Xmas party

Sue Gray report finds 50 staff were invited to the ‘festive drinks’ – organised days in advance

Masks back in class at Oasis schools as other trusts weigh similar move

Oasis said other academy trusts were also considering going beyond DfE guidance to tackle Omicron

Boris Johnson told officials not to make school lockdown contingency plans, new report claims

Prime minister Boris Johnson told officials not to make contingency plans for schools last year in the event of another lockdown, according to an explosive new report. The Institute for Government said in a new analysis of the government’s handling of education during Covid that the failure to prepare such plans over summer and autumn […]

DfE seeks public ownership of Oak as budget set to halve next term

The Department for Education wants to take Oak National Academy into public ownership, according to the group behind the project, and its budget will be halved next term. The Reach Foundation has announced Oak will “stay open and free to use for at least the next two terms” after the DfE approved another grant worth […]

Consider holding proms outdoors, DfE tells schools after ‘Freedom Day’ delay

The Department for Education has told schools sports day events can still go ahead – but open days and indoor prom events are “unlikely to be feasible” following the “Freedom Day” delay. Prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday most coronavirus rules will stay in place for at least another four weeks – pushing the planned […]

Pupils missed 33 million days of in-person education due to Covid last autumn

Pupils missed 33 million days of in-person education because of Covid during the autumn term last year, as schools grappled with the second wave of the pandemic after re-opening. Official figures show the majority – 60 per cent – of pupils saw their schooling affected by the need to self-isolate or shield, often in classes […]

DfE still short of 1.3 million laptop target despite Gibb promise

The Department for Education had still not fulfilled its pledge to deliver 1.3 million free laptops to disadvantaged pupils a month after schools fully re-opened, figures show. The latest official data on the provision of devices shows the DfE fell just short of schools minister Nick Gibb’s pledge that all laptops and tablets would be […]

Schools to remain open during second national lockdown, PM confirms

Schools in England will remain open during the month-long national lockdown due to begin on Thursday, Boris Johnson has confirmed. The second national lockdown announced by the prime minister today will see pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops shut and socialising between households banned indoors in all parts of England from 12.01am on Thursday. But schools, […]