Laura Doel, director of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru said: “It is deeply worrying that £3.3 million worth of funding for machines to support cleaning regimes in schools announced by the Welsh Government on Monday was on an untested and yet-to-be trialled proposal. The news last night that these machines are only now being trialled and a decision on whether they are going to be used in schools will be decided by the government’s Technical Advisory Group is nothing short of a U-turn.

“NAHT Cymru welcomed any support for schools, but questioned the announcement when it was first shared with education unions before the bank holiday weekend, as there were no details on when these devices would be available, how they would work, and that they were safe to use. To find out now, as schools reopen this week, that they are only a trial, is very disappointing.

“If our concerns about cleaning and ventilation, to name just two, are not addressed, we will call on the government to rethink the measures that did work - such as grouping learners, and staggered start and finish times, to ensure the return to school this week is sustainable in the face of rising case numbers.”