Pupils in Wales set to return this month, but school openings remain low in England

The ambitious plans, titled Check in, Catch up, Prepare for summer and September, come as latest research shows that just one in 10 schools in some regions of England opened to all year groups prioritised by the government this week.

Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams confirmed on Wednesday that from 29 June schools in Wales will open to pupils from all year groups for limited periods during the week, with only a third of pupils in school at any one time.

Schools and councils will make their own decisions over managing the return, and parents who choose not to send their children to school will not be fined.

The summer term has been extended by one week to 27 July, and the autumn half-term holiday will be stretched to two weeks.

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The National Education Union (NEU) Wales criticised the Welsh government decision, saying the measures were “too much, too soon” and that teachers should not return if they feel the risk is too great.

The announcement comes just days after pupils in some year groups in England returned to school, a decision education unions and some scientists condemned the government for.

However, research by the NEU suggests that there is huge regional variation in the number of schools,in England that have opened to eligible year groups: Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 in primary schools; and Year 10 and 12 in secondary schools.

Just 12 per cent of schools in the North East and eight per cent in the North West – where levels of coronavirus are higher – opened fully to all eligible year groups in their school.

By contrast, around half of schools opened to eligible year groups in the East of England, South East and South West – areas where coronavirus infection levels have fallen recently.

In total, 35 per cent of schools opened on 1 June on the terms expected by the government and 21 per cent opened on less than the terms expected.

The remaining 44 per cent did not open to the any of the year groups suggested by the government, although a further six per cent hoped to open to some eligible year groups by the end of the week.

The NEU survey gathered the views of staff from 10,953 schools in England between 31 May and 1 June.

Other findings include:

• 57 per cent of schools expected less than half of eligible pupils to attend
• 40 per cent of staff were either clinically vulnerable to developing Covid-19 or living with someone who is
• 84 per cent of respondents said pupils’ mental health and emotional wellbeing was the top priority

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “Schools have been open throughout lockdown, caring for children of key workers and vulnerable children. It is clear from our latest survey, marking the start of lockdown easing, that many schools intend to delay wider opening. Some are not extending their opening beyond key workers and vulnerable children this term. Many have delayed wider opening until later in June. Others will be opening for some but not all the age groups recommended by government. All this will make our communities safer.

“As the regional variation according to coronavirus levels show, schools are listening to the science rather than politicians. This disconnect should be a wake-up call for government.

“The NEU and many prominent scientists, including Independent SAGE, believe it would have been safer for all schools to begin the move to a wider opening in a couple of weeks from now, when the number of new cases per day should be lower and the system of testing, tracking and isolation of new cases is bedded in.”

Meanwhile, the Welsh government said guidance for childcare providers will be published in the next week, supporting them to increase the numbers of children in attendance alongside schools.