Reopening schools across Europe has not caused a spike in coronavirus cases. Evidence from 22 EU states that have restored classes suggests little or no risk to pupils, teachers or families. The revelation piles pressure on unions resisting plans to send younger children back from June 1. The National Education Union yesterday even claimed it … Read more
Fury as primary school shares bizarre social distancing ‘plan’ with children as young as four ‘put in ‘bubbles’ in the playground, allocated timeslots for toilet breaks and given NO help from teachers if they fall or wet themselves’ Holywell Village First School in Northumberland revealed social distancing plans School advised that children would have to … Read more
The Church of England last night warned children will suffer if they are not able to return to the classroom, as pressure mounted on teachers’ unions to end their boycott of back-to-school plans. Cabinet minister Michael Gove yesterday escalated the row by telling union leaders: ‘If you really care about children, you will want them … Read more
The startling inequalities in lockdown learning are laid bare today after it was revealed that an estimated 700,000 state school pupils are not being set any work by their teachers. Some schools have simply decided against online lessons because they say many children have only limited internet access. Astonishingly, one head teacher said teachers might … Read more
Pupils won’t be allowed to take a pencil cases to school when they return but they can take a lunchbox because children are ‘less likely to share them’, the deputy chief medical officer has said. Speaking at Saturday’s Downing Street briefing, Dr Jenny Harries said that pencil cases were ‘easier to control’ than lunchboxes. She added … Read more
Bosses behind dozens of primary schools in England are backing plans for pupils to return to classrooms, despite strong opposition from teaching unions. The heads of four academy chains – Reach 2, Harris, Oasis and GEP – which teach a quarter of the UK’s children, have all thrown their weight behind government proposals to reopen schools … Read more
Jesper Larsen, a headteacher in Copenhagen, Denmark, said Danish schools were able to go back to class a month ago because the country’s society respects government guidelines While British schools will not begin to reopen after lockdown until the beginning of June at the earliest, at my school here in Denmark virtually all the children … Read more
Two coronavirus cases are confirmed at a primary school attended by vulnerable pupils as the site is closed for a deep clean Springfield Primary School in Spolton, Derby, has now closed for deep cleaning Everyone who came into contact with the two cases will have to self-isolate The news comes amid the government’s plans to … Read more
Opposition to reopening schools is ‘middle class’ and harms disadvantaged children who miss school, says academy chief Oasis Charitable Trust founder Steve Chalke said opposition was ‘middle class’ Suggested disadvantaged children would be at greater risk if reopening delayed Teacher unions have threatened to sue school chiefs if teachers are ‘put at risk’ By Lydia … Read more
Students who disagree with their predicted A-Level and GCSE grades may not be able to sit exams in the autumn to try and amend them, it has been reported. Due to the coronavirus lockdown, exams regulator Ofqual has instructed teachers to provide grades for students which reflect the results they would have been most likely … Read more