Today (Friday 7 Jan), school leaders’ union NAHT releases the
results of a snap poll of its members on the first day of term.
The survey received nearly 2,000 responses from school leaders in
England, who reported significant levels of staff absence.
- More than a third (36%) said they had more than 10% of their
total staff absent on the first day of term due to
Covid-related reasons.
- More than a quarter (27%) said they had more than 10% of
their teaching staff absent on the first day of term due
to Covid-related reasons. Worryingly, almost 1 in 10 (9%)
said they had more than 20% of their teaching staff absent.
- 95% had pupils absent for Covid-related reasons. Almost a
third (29%) said they had more than 10% of their pupils absent
for Covid-related reasons.
- Half (50%) said they are using supply teachers to cover
classes due to absence, but over a third (37%) said they were
unable to source the supply staff they need, even via agencies.
- Less than 7% reported combining classes or year groups. Only
4% reported having to send classes or year groups home.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT,
said: “Schools are doing everything they can to maintain
education for pupils in the face of very challenging
circumstances. Staff absence on the first day of term was
considerable and school leaders have been doing what they can to
redeploy teachers and other support staff to avoid being forced
to combine classes or send groups home.
“Given that this is a snapshot of just the first day of term,
this is a very worrying picture. Infection rates – and therefore
absence due to illness – could very likely rise as the term
progresses, and already half of schools are having to turn to
supply staff, with many finding they cannot secure suitable
cover.
“Many schools are teetering on the edge and the next few weeks at
least will undoubtedly continue to be an incredibly challenging
time.
“School leaders are having to make difficult decisions whilst
faced with conflicting priorities. The government’s clear
priority that schools should be kept open is understood. The
crisis in available resources will mean that school leaders and
their teams will require the unflinching support of government to
achieve this. School leaders need to be free to arrange the
delivery of education according to the resources available to
them, not on the basis of the normal school week.
“School leaders need to know that their decisions will be backed
by government. They have proved time and again that they are
worthy of the nation’s trust. Inspection, unnecessary assessment
and the use of league tables are an unhelpful impediment during
this moment of crisis.”
