Commenting as Welsh Government announce that schools will be given two planning days in January to implement changes to Covid guidance and mitigation arrangements, Laura Doel, Director of NAHT Cymru, said:

"We welcome the changes announced today on planning days and the relaxation of sessions times.

"Schools have suffered significantly from staff absence since September and, given that the new variant is even more transmissible, we can be certain that Covid will continue to impact on staffing levels. School settings cannot stay open and remote learning cannot be supported if the workforce is unavailable. That is why we urged the Welsh Government to introduce additional mitigation measures, like staggering session times to control the flow of learners and parents coming in and out of school, at the start of next term.

"No-one wants further mitigations in schools, but the continuation of education is a priority. NAHT Cymru has pledged to work with the government, and discussions will continue over the Christmas and New Year period to respond to the rapidly changing situation. But it is essential that school staff have a break over Christmas and we are pleased to see the government has recognised that by giving schools some time at the beginning of term to make any changes."