News

Schools are facing up to a ‘long, hard winter’ ahead as COVID-19 testing delays and rising infection rates have already seen a spike in the numbers of pupils being sent home.

Barely three weeks into term and the number of schools not fully open due to COVID-19 has jumped from one per cent on September 10 to four per cent on September 17.

Furthermore, a survey by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has found that four in five schools have children isolating because they cannot access a COVID-19 test.

The survey on September 17 involved 736 school leaders and found that 82 per cent of schools have children currently not attending because they cannot access a test, while 87 per cent have children stuck at home because they are waiting for test results.

Furthermore, 45 per cent of schools have staff currently not at work because they cannot access a test, and 60 per cent have staff at home because they are waiting for results.