school closures | Schools Week

Coronavirus: Private school closures will put pressure on state

The closure of private schools unable to weather the economic hit from Covid-19 will put more pressure on state schools as they welcome back additional pupils while social distancing. Two long-standing prep schools announced this week they would close permanently. One, the 180-year-old Ashdown House Preparatory School in Sussex, is an alma mater of prime […]

Coronavirus: Trust was warned over local spike days before it was forced to close school

An academy trust forced to close one of its schools days after reopening because of a coronavirus case had previously been warned about a rise in infections in the area. The David Ross Education Trust closed Cedar Road Primary School, in Northampton, on Wednesday after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19. The government’s rush to […]

Long read: How are schools preparing to reopen?

Many school leaders regard the government’s guidance on reopening schools as vague at best. So what are their plans as the June 1 deadline looms . . . Schools are planning to make pupils walk through trays filled with disinfectant and check their temperatures with infra-red thermometers to ensure they can safely reopen from […]

Coronavirus: School attendance around 1%, finds DfE analysis

Around 1 per cent of pupils are attending school under the coronavirus lockdown, new data from the Department for Education shows. Data from 12,800 establishments found around 61 per cent remained open as of last Friday, when attendance fell to 0.9 per cent of pupils who normally attend (84,000). Analysis by the DfE shows attendance […]

Coronavirus: Reopen schools before summer if possible, say leadership unions

Unions representing school leaders across England are lobbying the government to reopen schools for a “limited period” before the summer holidays if scientific advice says it is safe to do so. Once the scientific advice is that schools can return safely, they should do so, even if it’s for a very limited period before the […]

Coronavirus: Help poorer children access online learning, charity begs tech firms

Tech firms and internet providers have been asked to help poorer children get online after a survey revealed just two per cent of teachers working in the poorest communities believe all their pupils can access the internet at home. A survey of more than 6,000 teachers by Teacher Tapp found the vast majority in the […]

Coronavirus: DfE will bus vulnerable and key worker pupils to other schools if theirs can’t stay open

It will be “impossible” for some schools to remain open for vulnerable pupils and children of key workers, the government has admitted. In new guidance for parents, the Department for Education said pupils at schools that can’t stay open due to staff shortages will attend neighbouring schools. And the government will also “provide transport arrangements” […]

Coronavirus: School closures ‘may be necessary’ over staff shortages, says PHE

Public Health England has updated its guidance for schools, warning it “may be necessary” to close schools if staff isolation due to coronavirus causes “operational issues”. Until this morning, the organisation’s official advice stated that there was “no need” to close schools or send learners or staff home, even if they had a suspected case. […]

No school closures yet as government moves to coronavirus ‘delay’ phase

Closing schools at this stage in the spread of the coronavirus epidemic could do “more harm than good”, Boris Johnson has warned, as he announced closures are not yet on the cards despite an escalation of the government’s response. The prime minister yesterday reiterated advice that schools “should only close if they are specifically advised […]