Early indications suggest the first day of the full reopening of
schools in England has gone well with many schools reporting high
take-up of Covid tests and pupils generally following policies on
wearing face coverings in secondary classrooms.
The government expects secondary schools and colleges to provide
on-site Covid tests to returning pupils before they enter the
classroom. Feedback we gathered last week suggests that about
three-quarters of secondary schools need to phase pupils back
into school this week in order to manage the flow of pupils
through testing stations.
The government has also extended the recommended use of face
coverings to the classroom in secondary schools and colleges, but
has not made them mandatory.
Neither the policy over on-site tests or face coverings applies
to primary schools.
Today, we circulated a survey to headteachers and principals in
England. The findings were:
Of 729 secondary schools and colleges, just over half (54%)
reported take-up of on-site Covid tests of between 90% and 100%,
and in about a quarter (24%) take-up was between 80% and 89%.
Take-up was below 60% in 6% of schools.
Of 706 secondary schools and colleges, nearly three quarters
(73%) reported that more than 90% of pupils were complying with
the policy on face coverings in classrooms, with nearly a quarter
of these (23%) saying compliance was 100%. Some reported lower
compliance with 2% saying it was below 70%. Of the schools
responding, 20% were not able to give an indication as students
had not yet returned to lessons.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said: “These early indications are very
encouraging and the feedback we are receiving also suggests that
attendance is good in the majority of schools.
“Schools and colleges have worked incredibly hard to plan and
prepare for the return of pupils and we would like to put on
record our thanks and admiration for everything they have done.
The requirement to provide on-site Covid tests has been
particularly onerous, and introducing face coverings in
classrooms has opened up a minefield that they have had to
navigate.
“We know schools have had to put a great deal of time and effort
into obtaining parental consent for on-site Covid tests and that
has clearly proved especially difficult in some places. Likewise,
while most pupils and parents are supporting schools over the
thorny issue of face coverings, it appears that some are not
doing so.
“We would encourage all parents and pupils to follow their
school’s rules on face coverings which are in line with public
health guidance and are there for the good of everybody.”
