ASCL comment on latest school attendance statistics

Commenting on the latest school attendance statistics, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“We are delighted that school attendance last week was the highest reported attendance during the coronavirus pandemic. This represents a remarkable achievement by schools in putting in place a raft of safety measures which clearly have the confidence and support of parents and pupils. This is no mean feat and school leaders and staff deserve enormous credit for their work and commitment.

“It is inevitable with schools fully open once again that there will be positive cases and close contacts having to self-isolate in line with Covid protocols. This is evident in the fact that there was a slight increase last week in the proportion of pupils not attending school for Covid-related reasons compared to the previous week. As we have warned previously, this sort of disruption is likely to be a feature of school life for a while to come yet, and we are not out of the woods.

“Schools are working incredibly hard to manage Covid safety measures and ensure educational continuity for pupils in these difficult circumstances, and we thank them for all they are doing.”