More support to keep pupils in the classroom - announcement and reactions

Thousands of new air filters and further temporary measures will be introduced to protect face-to-face education and minimise disruption, ahead of the pupils returning to the classroom this week.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has announced an additional 7,000 air cleaning units to be provided to early years, schools and colleges to improve ventilation in teaching spaces – further helping to strike the balance between managing transmission risk along with reducing disruption to in-person learning.

Face-to-face education remains a top priority, as the evidence shows it is the best place to be for children’s education and wellbeing.

To maximise the number of children in school and college for the maximum amount of time, the Government is temporarily recommending that face coverings are worn in classrooms and teaching spaces for students in year 7 or above, in light of the Omicron variant surge.

The advice is short term only to support pupils and teachers as they return to schools this term and builds on the existing proportionate guidance that recommends face coverings for all adults in communal areas of all settings. The advice on face coverings in classrooms will be in place until the 26 January, when Plan B regulations are currently scheduled to expire, at which point it will be reviewed.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said:

“Being in the classroom is undoubtedly the very best place for children and I'm looking forward to welcoming pupils back next week to continue their face-to-face learning, which is so important for their education and wellbeing.

“There is no doubt that the Omicron variant presents challenges but the entire education sector has responded with a Herculean effort, and for that I thank each and every one of you.

“The Prime Minister and I have been clear that education is our number one priority. These measures will bolster our support schools as we do everything in our power to minimise disruption.”

Additional support for school leaders will also be in place, as Ofsted will not ask inspectors who are also school, college and early years leaders to undertake inspections, so they can focus on their leadership responsibilities at this critical time. This will be a temporary measure from the start of January.

Ofsted has already confirmed that it will not be inspecting secondary schools during the first week of term in January, as schools undertake on-site pupil testing.

Ofsted will also encourage early years settings, schools and colleges that are significantly impacted by COVID-related staff absence to ask for their inspection to be deferred.

The 7,000 new air purifiers will be for areas where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible, such as being able to open a window, and will help to improve ventilation in schools. This builds on the 1,000 air purifiers announced for special schools and alternative provision settings.

Feedback from schools suggests that the 350,000 carbon dioxide monitors rolled out across the country are also acting as a helpful tool to manage ventilation.

Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, responding to the government’s announcement of 7,000 air purifiers for education settings and recommendation for secondary pupils to wear masks in class, said:  

“The Conservatives have consistently failed to act to protect our children's education throughout the pandemic. Now we’re seeing a last-minute panic from the government just days before schools are due to return.  

“Labour has been calling on Ministers to get proper ventilation in schools and colleges for months, but this announcement still falls woefully short, equivalent to fewer than one in three schools receiving a single air purifier. Throughout the pandemic Ministers have flip flopped on masks which is creating confusion for families, whilst still lagging way behind on vaccinating eligible children.  

“The Conservatives have treated children’s education as an afterthought throughout the pandemic and have again failed to learn lessons from last year. Their chaotic inability to plan ahead is damaging children’s learning and their futures. The Education Secretary must get a grip.” 

Commenting on the government’s decision to recommend that face coverings are worn in classrooms for students in year 7 and above in light of the Omicron variant surge, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“While there are obvious drawbacks to the use of face coverings in classrooms, it is clear that the Omicron variant poses a very significant additional risk to education with the potential for further widespread disruption of schools, colleges, and young people. It is absolutely essential that everything possible is done to reduce transmission and ensure that children remain in school, and we therefore support the reintroduction of face coverings in classrooms for students in year 7 and above.

“Face coverings are already advised in communal areas for pupils in year 7 and above. Pupils are accustomed to their use and we are sure the reintroduction of face coverings in classrooms is something that schools and colleges will take in their stride.

“We welcome the provision of an additional 7,000 air cleaning units for early years, schools and colleges to improve ventilation. We have been calling for this for some time and it should have been done earlier but it is a case of better late than never. We await further details about the eligibility criteria for these devices and we urge the government to make sure this scheme is as accessible as possible.

“We also welcome the fact that Ofsted will encourage education settings that are significantly impacted by Covid-related staff absence to ask for their inspection to be deferred. Once again, we have been asking for some time for inspection deferrals to be granted upon request from the school or college concerned because of the severe level of disruption that many are experiencing and the importance of being able to focus on education rather than inspections. We’ll be looking closely at how the process announced today will work.

“All of this is a recognition by the government that the spring term will be extremely challenging for schools and colleges. The biggest problem they face is the likelihood of high levels of staff absence caused by the prevalence of the Omicron variant. While schools and colleges will do their very best to minimise the impact on pupils, as they always do, there is a possibility that this will mean that some classes and year groups have to be sent home for short periods of time to learn remotely.”

Commenting as the government announce further temporary measures and more support for schools to help with Covid as they return in January, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“School leaders are clear that the best place for children to learn is in school. We need to do everything possible to ensure face-to-face teaching continues, despite increasing infection rates due to the new variant. Reintroducing face masks in secondary classrooms appears to be a sensible move, given the circumstances.

“Where schools need air filtration units to improve areas of poor ventilation, they should be provided with them, without delay. The announcement, therefore, that 7000 more units will be made available is welcome. We will encourage government to monitor demand and to make more available as required, to ensure all schools that need one, get one. Adequate ventilation in classrooms should not be limited to first come, first served.

“Ofsted inspections are the very last thing schools need given the pressure they are under just to stay open and minimise disruption for learners. Pupils will be best served by their schools not being distracted by preparation for inspection. Encouraging schools to ask for deferrals of inspections is helpful but it would be even better if all uncertainty were removed by simply suspending inspections entirely this term so inspectors can return to the classroom, to help the effort.”

Commenting on the new measures from Government, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:  

"Finally, the government have been forced to recognise, and react to, the scale of the Omicron variant and its potential impact on education.  The recommendation on wearing facemasks in secondary school classrooms is overdue – but it should be a requirement.  

"Seven thousand more air purifiers is something, but it is completely inadequate for what should be a basic human right, the provision of clean air in every classroom in every educational setting. The fact that the government have provided the extra purifiers shows that it recognises the problem but with over 300,000 classrooms in England they have failed to provide an effective solution.    

"It is hard to see how Ofsted will function without the services of serving head teachers. Rather than limping along, Ofsted should suspend all inspections other than safeguarding concerns. Given the current, sky-high rates of infection, every school will be significantly affected by Covid. The focus should be on the essential aim of providing education continuity for as many pupils as possible, not on jumping through Ofsted hoops."