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The number of schools in England sending groups of pupils home due to Covid-19 incidents has quadrupled in one week, according to the latest official figures.
Based on last Thursday’s attendance, they show that 4% of schools are not fully open due to confirmed or suspected cases, compared to 1% the week before.
This could mean that some 900 schools send students home.
General attendance has also dropped slightly from 88% to 87%.
This means that more than a million children were absent from school that day, whether for Covid-related reasons or for other reasons, with more students missing secondary schools than elementary schools.
Testing concerns
The drop in attendance should “sound the alarm” for the government, said Paul Whiteman, leader of the National Association of Principal Teachers.
“Clearly, Covid testing failure is at the center of this. The inability of staff and families to be tested successfully when they show symptoms means schools are struggling with staff, children are missing school. and ultimately, children’s education is being unnecessarily interrupted, “said Mr. Whiteman.
This is the second set of attendance figures from the Department of Education since schools returned in the fall, showing a significant increase in schools that send groups of students home or groups for the entire year due to concerns about the coronavirus. .
But they also show that the number of schools that were fully open had risen, from 92% to 94%, because the previous week’s figures included schools that were still carrying out a gradual start to the year or holding teacher training days.
Figures, based on responses from 76% of public schools, show that almost no schools are completely closed, with 99.9% registered as open.
This combination of more schools that completed their reopening and, at the same time, more schools that sent students home due to Covid-19, meant that the overall attendance figure balanced out as similar to the previous week, from 88% to 87%. .
This is well below expectations, with attendance rates generally around 95%.
‘Long and hard winter’
An even lower proportion of vulnerable children, such as those with a social worker, was recorded in school, with an attendance rate of 81%.
Geoff Barton, head of the ASCL school principals union, said that with rising infection rates and problems with Covid testing, attendance figures “were not surprising at all.”
“Frankly, it is a great relief that the situation is not much worse,” said Barton, who warned that even though schools were “working incredibly hard to handle this very difficult situation,” it was going to be a “long, difficult winter. “.
Problems getting Covid exams were making things difficult for schools, said Kevin Courtney, joint leader of the National Education Union.
“This is eroding trust between parents, and it will be an uphill struggle to regain it,” he warned.
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Education Secretary Gavin Williamson welcomed that 99.9% of schools were open, but said: “Unsurprisingly, this data shows that a small number of students are self-isolating according to the advice of public health”.
He said schools were working “tremendously hard to ensure that there are protective measures in place to reduce transmission risks” and that they had “access to timely advice and support through our helpline if they have a positive case.”
