Commenting as the Department for Education today email all schools to inform them of changes to Covid safety measures for schools from the 1st April, including an end to universal free testing and new guidance on isolation, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Many school leaders will be very worried about the government’s decision to go ahead with a further loosening of measures at a time when covid cases are rising rapidly in schools.  The government’s own figures show that absences due to covid are back up to the levels we last saw in January and many schools are once again struggling to keep classes open.

“Given the current situation, it seems nothing short of reckless to be removing access to free testing. Testing is one of the few tools schools have left to try to break chains of transmission and there is a real concern that we could see more cases and outbreaks in schools as a result of this decision.

“School leaders, staff and families will quite rightly want to understand the scientific evidence that justifies further reducing the isolation period for those that test positive for Covid. The immediate concern is that by letting people who could still be contagious return to school too early, we could see an increase in cases and therefore more, rather than less disruption. If the medical advice has changed, then government has a duty to explain that to schools.”