Tuesday
Covid pandemic ‘clearly’ not over, DfE admits
We’re not on our way out of the Covid crisis so deciding if there has been enough catch-up cash is ‘risky’, warns DfE recovery chief
Commissioner calls for real-time attendance data
Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza reveals she is in talks with the DfE about creating live data showing who is in school
Extra £5m for ventilation in Scottish schools
Funding for school ventilation comes after long-running concerns over measures to guard against Covid in schools
Covid catch-up mentor scheme 92% off target, DfE admits
The government’s flagship programme is a long way short of its targets for tuition and mentoring, new DfE figures show
Use of online lessons has risen ‘threefold’
Oak National Academy has seen huge increases in the take-up of its online lessons as Covid has kept pupils and teachers out of school
Friday
Primaries tighten Covid rules as cases soar
Bubbles and staggered starts brought back as heads warn DfE guidance on combining classes would be against the law for key stage 1 classes
Why are we still so confused about Covid safety?
Nearly two years into the pandemic, we are yet to get clarity from government about ways to keep Covid at bay in schools, writes Geoff Barton
DfE launches £1.5m free school support contract tender
New Schools Network – which has received a decade’s worth of funding to support free schools – is to bid again
In a world of untruths, teachers stay true
Amid the noise and propaganda, school staff have managed to keep the majority happy by sticking to the values of the profession
Zahawi accused of ‘failing’ schools over classroom air safety
The DfE’s promise of 8,000 air purifiers ‘barely scratches the surface’ of schools’ need to improve ventilation to battle Covid, warn unions
Schools ‘teetering on the edge’ over Covid absence
More than a third of heads have over 10 per cent of staff off work this week, an NAHT survey shows
