As schools returned for the start of the 2021/22 academic year this month, the Department for Education’s [DfE] latest attendance figures have laid bare just how Covid-19 restrictions have hampered schools over the previous year.
The statistics show that 99 per cent of state-funded schools were open on September 16, 2021, with 91.9 per cent of pupils attending school that day compared to 87 per cent at the same time in 2020.
The increase in attendance comes after the government abolished the Covid bubbles policy in schools and colleges for the new academic year, meaning that only those with symptoms or that have tested positive for the virus will be required to isolate, rather than close contacts also. This change, in conjunction with the rollout of the Covid vaccine, has seen more pupils attending schools and reduced disruption to children’s education.
In terms of absences, state-funded schools reported that 1.5 per cent of pupils [over 122,000 children] were off school due to Covid-19 reasons on September 16 this year, with 0.7 per cent [59,000] absent because of a confirmed positive case.
Hailing the encouraging figures, newly appointed education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “My priority is to make sure children are in school and back to face-to-face learning. That’s the best place for them to be so it’s fantastic to see more than 91 per cent of them back in the classroom with their teachers and friends, compared to 87 per cent this time last year.
“That’s down to the hard work of teachers, support staff as well as families whose efforts have been heroic in making sure children can get back to school safely. The rollout of the vaccine to those aged 12-15, which started this week, is another significant step in building the walls of protection from the virus across society.
“As education secretary, I will be working closely with school leaders and everyone working in education to keep children learning and help them catch-up through our National Tutoring Programme.”
Andrew Simpson, head of Arundel Church of England Primary School in West Sussex, is one headteacher relieved that schools have been able to return without being bound by Covid bubbles.
Simpson said: “It has been joyous to return back to school under less stringent conditions. This has allowed children to mix and to a certain extent has provided the right ingredients to continue to flourish within a larger school family.
“Teachers are aware that there are significant risks associated with missed education, for children and young people’s health, wellbeing, attainment and life chances and this was clearly evident after the previous lockdowns. Pupils seem so happy to be back and to be able to mix within year groups - it has been gratifying to see how positive they all are about their return.”
Yet, while the figures show movement in the right direction, in some quarters of the sector the lingering disruption that remains for the 1.5 per cent of pupils not in school is unacceptable.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, said that even 1.5 per cent of pupils being off school with Covid is too great a number and hit out at the government for offering substandard support and preventative measures.
Whiteman commented: “What the figures show is that children’s education continues to be disrupted. Until now government has been slow to act and offered less than is needed in terms of support. Children, young people teachers and school leaders are all looking to the new team at the DFE to provide the support that is needed.
“The case must be made that funding education is an investment in this country's future, not simply another drain on the nation’s finances. Up to now, what’s been offered falls way short of international efforts to help pupils. It is also well below the ambition that school leaders have for their pupils, and a long way off what young people themselves need and deserve.”
Labour shadow education secretary, Kate Green, added: “The Conservatives’ chaotic failure to plan ahead or to listen to Labour, parents and teachers and get ventilation and mitigations in place saw over 122,000 children out of school again on the first week of the academic year. This is not good enough. The Conservatives have left schools in a mess, the new education secretary urgently needs to set this right.
“With 158,000 more children out of school than anticipated due to Covid and standard absences, ministers must urgently investigate what’s happening with these families and work with parents and schools to ensure all children can return to class.”
The government has said in response that it is striving to ensure that schools remain open, and pupils can continue to attend. The DfE is working closely with local authorities, schools and local health teams to ensure that learning is disrupted as little as possible.
The DfE said: “Although we are not yet out of the pandemic, compared with last September we have stronger defences in place, with every teacher and every 16- and 17-year-old having been offered a vaccination, and extra safety measures in place, including testing. The vaccination of 12-15-year-olds also began this week and is being led by the NHS and Department for Health and Social Care.
“We’re also making sure schools are as well ventilated as possible by providing a minimum of 300,000 carbon dioxide monitors to schools, backed by £25 million, so staff can quickly identify where ventilation needs to be improved.
“Special schools have been prioritised to receive a monitor first, given they care for the most vulnerable children, but monitors are being rolled out more widely to all schools as quickly as possible.”
