Coronavirus: Staggered delay to schools reopening following rising infection rates

West Berkshire councillor says it will 'make things less challenging for teachers'

Hundreds of thousands of pupils will not return to schools and colleges as planned due to rising infection rates and the spread of the new Covid variant.

Announcing the planned staggered reopening today (Wednesday), Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said students in exam years will return to secondary schools a week later than planned, from January 11.

Other secondary and college students will go back full-time on January 18, he told Parliament.

And primary schools in a “small number of areas” where Covid-19 infection rates are the highest will not reopen for face-to-face teaching to all pupils as planned next week.

It is not yet known what impact the announcement will have on West Berkshire schools.

The staggered approach was due to see primary school pupils and Year 11 and Year 13 pupils returning in the first week of January, and other students going back later in the month, to allow headteachers to roll out mass testing of children and staff.

Executive member for children and young people at West Berkshire Council, Dominic Boeck (Con, Aldermaston), said: "Pushing the date back a week is going to make it easier for our teachers because before Christmas they were looking at starting all of this from the 4th of January.

"I think this formalises the timetable a bit for the schools, that should make things less challenging".

Mr Boeck said that the council's education team was "all over" the guidance and supporting schools to be able to the best they could.

He added: "We need to get our kids back in school. The best place for children is in school. They have lost enough time as it is and we don't want to exacerbate that lost time".

There has been growing concern from teaching unions and scientists about the spread of the virus following the discovery of its much more transmissible variant, with rising case rates and hospital admissions in many parts of the country.

Mr Williamson told MPs in the Commons that the Government had to make an “immediate adjustment” to its plans for the reopening of schools in early January.

He said: “We must always act swiftly when circumstances change. The evidence about the new Covid variant and rising infection rates have required some immediate adjustment to our plans for the new term.”

He added: “The latest study we have from Public Health England is that Covid infections among children are triggered by changes in the community rate. The study also says that the wider impact of school closures on children’s development would be significant.

“I’m quite clear that we must continue to do all we can to keep children in school.”

Today's announcement comes after warnings from experts suggesting a delayed return might be necessary as hospitals struggle with more Covid-19 patients than in the peak of the first wave.

The government expects to deliver more than 50,000 laptops and tablets to schools across the country on Monday, January 4, and more than 100,000 in total during the first week of term. Over 1m devices will be provided in total.

The Government said that current plans for rapid testing in secondary schools and colleges remain in place, with two rapid tests available to all secondary and college students and staff at the start of term to identify asymptomatic cases.

The first starter packs of up to 1,000 test kits are scheduled to arrive at all secondary schools and colleges on January 4.

The Government said that daily testing of all staff and students that have been a close contact of a confirmed case, reducing the need for self-isolation, will continue to be available to all secondary schools and colleges from the first week of term, along with weekly rapid tests for all staff in secondary schools, colleges, special schools and alternative provision.

It encouraged all students and staff to consent to testing.

Testing for primary school staff will follow in the second half of January.