No10 today defied a Tory revolt by refusing to rule out shutting pubs altogether after the government’s Covid modelling guru said it might be the only way to keep schools open. Neil Ferguson – known as ‘Professor Lockdown’ after his grim warning of 500,000 deaths plunged the country into curbs in March – said the … Read more
Pupils have been left shivering at schools across Britain with windows and doors being left open to keep classrooms ventilated as a coronavirus safety precaution. Parents at one school in Norfolk said their children were left ‘almost blue’ and ‘shivering’, while teachers elsewhere are having to wear scarves and coats all day. Some schools have … Read more
Leading state and private schools including Eton launch joint fight to scrap ‘unfair and unreliable’ GCSE exams More than 20 top education names have joined together to write an open letter They claim the system ‘leaves in its wake a trail of stress and unfairness’ Former education secretary who introduced GCSEs in 1988, Lord Baker, … Read more
Schools must stay open to protect children’s mental health and avoid the ‘immense’ economic and social consequences of another closure, scientists have warned. Speaking at a meeting of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee via Zoom today, professors said Britain’s children and young people had missed out on crucial social interactions due to … Read more
Up to one million schoolchildren are reportedly skipping class as the nation is gripped by the fear of a second coronavirus spike. Official attendance records have shown that of the 8.82 million schoolchildren in the UK, around one in eight pupils have not returned to school, despite 96 per cent of schools reopening since the pandemic. … Read more
Sort out coronavirus testing… or else: Teaching union warns Government that schools could be forced to close again unless emergency measures are taken Union demands children and school staff be made a ‘high priority’ for testing It tells PM to not take support for the wider reopening of schools ‘for granted’ The union also suggests … Read more
On A fresh early autumn morning, Lakeview, just outside Keinton Mandeville deep in rural Somerset, appears to be the archetypal English village. Houses, made of the local bluey-grey lias stone, surround the village green. There are allotments, orchards and wildflower meadows. Stand still and the only sounds to be heard are the squeals of children … Read more
Testing fiasco threatens schools chaos: Teachers call for coronavirus screening as thousands of pupils across the country are sent home from lessons… but the demand is set to be low on ministers’ ‘priority list’ Almost every school in the country is now suffering virus-related problems, unions warn Teachers fear a ‘lockdown by default’ as thousands … Read more
Britain’s testing fiasco has forced 740 schools to send children home, an academy chain boss revealed today amid warnings from teachers the situation is getting ‘out of control’. Steve Chalke, the head of Oasis Academies Trust, made the alarming claim as Boris Johnson faced mounting pressure to get a grip over widespread lack of access … Read more
More than one in four parents and guardians have admitted to leaving their car’s engine running while waiting at the gates to pick up their children from school. With vehicle emissions closely linked to respiratory and other health issues among children and adults, councils across the country have displayed ‘no idling’ signs outside schools with … Read more