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DfE faces £263k bonus bill for staff who helped set up mass testing scheme

The Department for Education faces a bill of up to £263,000 after asking staff to work over Christmas to prepare for its ill-fated schools mass testing programme. It was reported in December that the DfE had offered staff a “one-off £1,000 bonus” to help set up the programme over the break. But the mass testing […]

DfE staff offered £1k bonuses to work on school testing prep over Christmas

Department for Education staff have been offered £1,000 bonuses to work over Christmas on preparations for mass testing in schools, it has emerged. The news of bonuses for civil servants is likely to anger school staff who have been expected by the government to oversee test and trace duties during holidays, including the Christmas break […]

Mass testing in schools: Everything you need to know

The government has this week announced mass testing in schools from January 4. The announcement – in the last week of term – has caused uproar in the sector, with unions claiming the plans are “inoperable”. Here’s everything you need to know about the plans.   1. Mass testing ‘opportunity’ for all secondary schools… All […]

What did we learn from Nick Gibb about mass-testing in schools?

The schools minister Nick Gibb has set out further details about the government’s mass-testing programme for schools, which is due to begin in January. Ministers announced on Tuesday that secondary school staff will get routine weekly tests from January and that staff and pupils who were close contacts of positive cases will also get a […]

Rapid Covid-19 tests to be rolled out in all secondary schools from January

Rapid-result coronavirus tests will be rolled out to all secondary schools and colleges across England from January, the government has confirmed. In an announcement today, the government said the rollout means pupils won’t need to self-isolate if one of their number tests positive, providing they agree to daily testing. Schools Week revealed yesterday that such […]

Logistics fears as announcement on further mass-testing in schools ‘imminent’

A government announcement on the further rollout of mass Coronavirus testing in schools across England is “imminent”, Schools Week has learned. Organisations representing school staff have raised logistics concerns after it emerged that the government is preparing to announce a scaling up of its testing of staff, pupils and families in the new year. It […]