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19 April 2026

Tag: test and trace

Exams regulator calls in Test and Trace firm Sitel to manage public enquiry phone lines

Exams regulator Ofqual is paying £225,000 to an outsourcing company used in the government’s much-criticised Test and Trace system to answer calls from students, parents and teachers. The regulator outsourced its public enquiries lines to Sitel to meet an expected rise in calls. Last year Ofsted staff were deployed to help in the height of […]

NAHT: Leaders have spent 7 extra school days ‘propping up’ test and trace

The government faces calls to release leaders from the “burden” of running test and trace in their schools, after union figures showed they have spent on average seven extra school days on the task since September. The National Association of Head Teachers said a survey of 401 of its members had revealed the average leader […]

Schools scramble to sort inset days after 11th-hour Christmas edict

Schools are scrambling to reorganise their end of term plans after a last-ditch announcement by the government to ensure contract tracing can stop before Christmas Eve. Childcare concerns have also been raised after the Department for Education gave schools less than two weeks’ notice about running inset days on December 18. Although not statutory, I […]

DfE finally reveals Christmas contact-tracing rules

Schools will be asked to remain “on call” for the first six days of the Christmas holidays to help with contact tracing, but it will be up to them to decide the hours they’ll be contactable. The Department for Education has confirmed arrangements for the end of term after schools minister Nick Gibb said today […]

Schools can take inset day on Dec 18 so contact tracing stops by Christmas Eve

Schools will be allowed to designate December 18 as an inset day to enable staff involved in track and trace to have a “proper break” from Christmas Eve, the schools minister has said. Nick Gibb told the Parliamentary education committee this morning that the Department for Education wanted there to be a “clear six days” […]

Schools told they will be ‘on call’ until Christmas eve for track and trace

Schools will “effectively be on call” until Christmas eve to help with coronavirus contact tracing, a council has warned headteachers. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council has written to headteachers in its area, claiming to have received new guidance from the Department for Education. It comes after schools were ordered not to close early for the […]

Government doing ‘level best’ to get school pupils tested, claims Johnson

The prime minister dodged questions about a lack of Covid testing available for school pupils in the House of Commons, claiming the government is doing its “level best” to test every child with symptoms. Boris Johnson was grilled on problems with access to testing for school pupils by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Statistics released […]

Anger as government admits test and trace website coding error

A coding glitch caused by the government’s “failure” to carry out proper software testing is preventing people from booking Covid tests. There have been widespread reports of people – including school staff and pupils – not being able to book tests via the government’s website, despite claims that local centres still have appointments available. In […]