Second senior education official loses job over exams row as PM calls for 'fresh leadership'

It seems to have been a busy day for Boris Johnson, who visited the East Midlands this morning to exhort students to return to school and sing along to Rule, Britannia, only to go jogging in London with a celebrity trainer in the afternoon. 

Inbetween all that he also seems to have sacked yet another top civil servant, with Jonathan Slater joining the ranks of Mark Sedwill, Philip Rutnam, Sir Simon McDonald in Whitehall figures being shown the door. 

He is the second senior education official to lose their jobs, following Ofqual's chief executive Sally Collier, who left the exams watchdog with immediate effect yesterday. 

Mr Johnson was also left having to explain yet another Government U-turn, after the official face mask policy for schools changed overnight. 

But it seems he is neglecting his backbenchers, several of whom went public with their concern about draconian rules being introduced without parliamentary scrutiny. 

And the majority of you agree with those backbenchers. Of more than 1,000 voters, some 60 per cent have warned that this democratic right must not be eroded during the pandemic, while a further 15 per cent say parliamentary debate is important in principle but in practice has not been possible during recess. Number 10 won't be able to rely on that excuse for much longer, however, with MPs returning to Westminster imminently. 

Tomorrow we are expecting to hear more about local lockdowns, and possibly changes to quarantine. I'll be back from 8am to bring you all the news on this and more. 

Pupils over the age of 11 in Wales will be recommended to wear face coverings in school communal areas where social distancing cannot be maintained, the Welsh Government has said.

It is going a step further than the UK Government, which has only recommended face masks for areas under lockdown, but is in line with Scotland. 

A joint statement by health minister Vaughan Gething and education minister Kirsty Williams said: "The current advice from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales is that face coverings are recommended for all members of the public over 11 years in indoor settings in which social distancing cannot be maintained, including schools and school transport.

"We will amend our operational guidance for schools and FE to require settings and local authorities to undertake risk assessments of their estates to determine if face coverings should be recommended for their staff and young people in communal areas. This will also include school and college transport."

Local leaders of Greater Manchester have expressed concern about possible restrictions on a ward-by-ward basis within boroughs, Andy Burnham has said.

The Greater Manchester mayor said "the overwhelming consensus" among council leaders was that such a move would be "a recipe for utter confusion, division and chaos, and we are saying to the Government we do not want to work in that way".

He added: "We are saying very clearly back to the Government today that it is the council leaders and their teams themselves that need to be in the driving seat when it comes to decisions about the lifting of restrictions. People do not want to see a division within particular boroughs.

"Sadly I think what we begin to see is some people playing politics at a local level with these issues. The view of the leaders was that was entirely the wrong way to go. We will continue to be evidence-based in the way that we approach this and we will take the responsible course as we have done all along."

Political leaders in Stockport and Bolton will ask the Government to lift coronavirus restrictions in their boroughs.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said "political consensus" had been reached in both boroughs to push for the removal of restrictions on social gatherings at homes.

But council leaders across Greater Manchester agreed to request that restrictions remain in place in Oldham, Manchester, Rochdale, Bury, Tameside, Salford and Trafford.

Mr Burnham told reporters: "While there is progress in many of our boroughs there are still high numbers of cases and of course we do now have to think about the imminent return of schools and planning safely for that."

The next announcement on restrictions in the "northern area of intervention" is due to take place after a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) of the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) chaired by Health Secretary Matt Hancock and England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty.

The permanent secretary at the Department for Education will leave his post from next week, the Government has confirmed, with the Prime Minister saying there is "need for fresh official leadership". 

Jonathan Slater will step down from September 1, ahead of the end of his tenure next spring. 

He is being replaced by his deputy Susan Acland-Hood on an interim basis, with a permanent replacement being announced in the coming weeks. 

"The Cabinet Secretary would like to put on record his thanks to Jonathan for 35 years of public service," the Government said in a statement. 

It is thought he was targeted over the exams fall-out. Yesterday Ofqual boss Sally Collier quit. 

Boris Johnson has been spotted jogging with a celebrity personal trainer, as the Prime Minister continues to shrug off rumours about his health after battling coronavirus.  

Harry Jameson, who has previously worked with Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore, former England footballer Wayne Bridge and boxer Oriance Lungu, was snapped running alongside Mr Johnson in central London by an Evening Standard photographer on Wednesday.

Mr Johnson spoke publicly last month about his wish to get into better shape, and admitted that being overweight probably played a factor in the severity of his illness.

The Prime Minister was admitted to intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital in London in April and received oxygen as he fought the virus.

Yesterday he said reports that he would quit within six months because he was still suffering the after-effects was "absolute nonsense", with a Government source telling the Telegraph: “He is buzzing with energy the whole time. This whole thing is absurd."

Boris Johnson has said it is "politically acceptable" to sing Rule, Britannia! after the BBC said it would play an instrumental version at the Last Night Of The Proms next month.

In a speech to pupils at Castle Rock School in Coalville, Leicestershire, Mr Johnson said education was "the liberator" and "the transformer of society". 

"You'll remember these days and weeks and months, you really, really will," the Prime Minister told Year 11 students. "And when you've been struggling with something in the classroom or whatever, some concept that you can't get ... like the supine stem of confiteor, nuclear fusion or ... is Harry Potter sexist? Answer 'No', by the way.

"Is it politically acceptable to sing Rule, Britannia? Yes.

"When you're struggling with complex questions or something that you're worried about, somebody, very probably a teacher, a brilliant teacher, will say something and a light will go on, the clouds will lift and you will never, ever forget that moment.

"And that moment is absolutely irreplaceable, it's invaluable and it can only happen in school."

The permanent secretary at the Department for Education is set to leave his job, as the fall out from this year's exams chaos continues. 

The Government is expected to announce Jonathan Slater's departure within the next hour, the Telegraph understands. 

His exit follows the resignation of Ofqual boss Sally Collier yesterday. 

Last week, we reported that one or other of them were likely for the chop as Gavin Williamson and Nick Gibb sought to save their own jobs. One Government adviser said Mr Slater "might well be No 10's fall guy - the Goveites have had it in for him for years".

However backbenchers were furious at the time. One former Cabinet minister warned: "It is not at all fair.... it seems that all officials are fair game. But once you start blaming officials you are finished. 

The decision on whether children in Wales will be required to wear face coverings in schools has still not been made, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said. 

Yesterday ministers said a decision would be made by the end of today at the latest. 

Speaking at Wednesday's Welsh Parliament plenary, Mr Drakeford hinted that discretion may be left to local authorities in the case of spikes in their areas.

He said: "We remain in discussions with a variety of important interests, local authorities, teaching unions, the Children's Commissioner, here in Wales."

He added: "There is a potential part to be played by face coverings in secondary schools in a local context where numbers rise above a certain threshold, where particular buildings don't allow the safe circulation of young people around the school.

"It is for a local determination in that set of particular circumstances, that those closest to them are best equipped to assess against guidance that we will provide to them."

A further nine people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in English hospitals, with all but two regions reporting fatalities. 

There were five deaths reported in the NorthWest, while the East of England, London, the Midlands and the North East & Yorkshire all registered one death, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,524.

The patients were between 39 and 84 years old and all had known underlying health conditions, NHS England said.

Date of death ranges from 22- 25 August 2020, with the majority on Tuesday 25 August.

 We want to better understand what you think about live blogs on The Telegraph website. 

That's why we are asking our readers to fill out this quick survey ahead of our redesign of them.

It'll take just five minutes, and you'll have a hand in shaping the way we work in the future. 

The Czech Republic could become another European country subject to quarantine measures for people returning to the UK, according to the latest figures.

A seven-day rate of 20 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people is the threshold above which the UK Government considers triggering quarantine conditions.

The Czech Republic is currently recording a seven-day rate of 19.4 cases per 100,000, up from 16 a week ago.

Switzerland is already over the threshold, with a seven-day rate of 21.2.

Last week, Scotland took Switzerland off its list of countries from which people do not need to self-isolate on arrival.

The rest of the UK could follow later this week.

Two countries that seem likely to remain on the list for the time being are Greece and Italy.

Britain's Supreme Court on Wednesday lifted a bar which prevented the Government from giving evidence to US authorities about an alleged Islamic State execution squad, nicknamed "the Beatles", after reassurances were given that the men would not face the death penalty.

The US Department of Justice is seeking the extradition of Britons Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, who are accused of the killing and torture of Western hostages in Syria.

Attorney General William Barr said last week that US prosecutors would not seek the death penalty against the men or carry out executions if they were imposed, an issue which had been a stumbling block for Britain handing over captured militants.

In March, Britain's Supreme Court had ruled that data protection laws meant Britain could not provide material to the United States or other foreign countries in cases which could lead to a death penalty. That decision followed legal action brought by Elsheikh’s mother, Maha El Gizouli.

The British courts imposed a block on the transfer of evidence while her case was ongoing. But the Supreme Court said it had released an order on Wednesday which formally ended El Gizouli's action and thus ended the legal prohibition.

"The order concludes the proceedings in the Supreme Court, which means that the stay or the stop on providing material to the US government is removed," a court spokeswoman said.

There was no immediate response from Britain's Home Office.

Boris Johnson has been accused of running a "Government by edict" after making a series of changes to rules during the pandemic without opening them up to democratic debate. 

Charles Walker, vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories, said that MPs were increasingly being "excluded" and urged Downing Street not to "suspend democratic decision-making". 

He's not the only Conservative MP to go public with his frustration at the way things have been handled lately. Huw Merriman also attacked ministers for causing confusion, and claiming the change on face masks risks making people more nervous about the reopening of schools.

So should parliament be having a greater say in policies - or will that slow the process down at a time when flexibility is essential?

Have your say in the poll below.

A union boss has accused the Prime Minister of trying to "shrug away" the A-level and GCSE results chaos by blaming a "mutant algorithm".

Boris Johnson made the comments earlier today during a visit to a school in the East Midlands. 

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: "It is brazen of the Prime Minister to idly shrug away a disaster that his own Government created. Parents, students, teachers and heads will be horrified to see the leader of this country treat his own exams fiasco like some minor passing fad.

"The public will not easily forget the emotional rollercoaster of this year's results season. It is certain to put a long-lasting dent in the Government's reputation on education.

"Sally Collier fell on her sword yesterday, but the disaster of this year's exams model has its origins in a decade of Conservative education policy. Kenneth Baker and Justine Greening both agree the current system is not fit for purpose, and the NEU goes further. It needs ripping up, and for students entering exams next summer we need quick and decisive action."

Former union leader Tony Woodley has decided not to accept the offer of a peerage.

Mr Woodley, who was joint general secretary of Unite, was offered the position by Jeremy Corbyn when he was Labour leader.

In a statement, Mr Woodley said: "I am deeply honoured to have been asked by Jeremy Corbyn, when still Labour leader, to join Labour's team in the House of Lords.

"I would like to thank Jeremy and Ian Lavery, then the chair of the party, for their support. However, after the most careful reflection I have decided not to accept the peerage offered.

"The greatest honour of my life was to be elected general secretary of the historic Transport & General Workers' Union (now part of Unite) by my fellow members. So I would prefer to follow the example of my hero and mentor Jack Jones, the greatest man to hold that job, and not accept a peerage.

"I will do whatever I can to advance Labour's cause in the future, but I have determined that I will do it best as I did when I was first elected a union representative more than 50 years ago, as plain Tony Woodley."

Schools in which students and teachers are expected to wear face masks will be "few and far between", Boris Johnson has said. 

Speaking during a visit to a school in the Midlands, the Prime Minister said: "We're being very clear - if you're in a hotspot area, which this place is not, then you should use face coverings in places outside the classrooms where it's a confined space.

"But those are few and far between. Here in Leicestershire, after all, you've seen the people of Leicester come together, make a huge effort in the whole area, to bear down on the virus because there was an outbreak in Leicester and they've done a fantastic job.

"The numbers are down and the incidence in this area is well, well down so that's the way to do it - local measures to tackle the outbreaks, wash your hands and let's get all pupils back into school next week."

Boris Johnson has said the U-turn on face masks was influenced by the experience of pupils in Scotland, who have already begun returning to classrooms.

During a visit to a school today, the Prime Minister said: "On the issue of face coverings, what you've got is the WHO (World Health Organisation) saying face coverings should be used by over-12s.

"What we're saying is if you're in a school where there is a 'hot spot' then it probably does make sense in confined areas outside the classroom to use a face coverings in the corridor and elsewhere.

"As they discovered in Scotland, where they've had the kids in for at least a couple of weeks now, what they found was that it was raining outside, people were coming in and they were congregating in the corridors and the move to face coverings they thought was sensible.

"What we are doing, following what the WHO have said, is we are saying, if you are in a hot spot area where there is a higher risk of transmission then face coverings in those types of areas outside the classroom.

"But not in the classrooms because that is clearly nonsensical - you can't teach with face coverings, you can't expect people to learn with face coverings."

Boris Johnson has thanked pupils for their efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus, but warned them the "greatest risk" they now face is staying out of school. 

During a visit to a school in the East Midlands, the Prime Minister said: "We have the number of deaths way down, we have the number of hospital admissions way, way down and it's thanks to you and your sacrifice that we have protected the NHS and saved literally tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives. 

"No previous generation of pupils has ever done anything like this."

Now, he said, "the risk to your health is not from Covid because, after all, statistically speaking, your chances of suffering from that disease are very, very low".

"The greatest risk you face now is of continuing to be out of school."

Boris Johnson, addressing pupils at a school in the East Midlands, blamed a "mutant algorithm" for the A-level and GCSE results fiasco.

The Prime Minister - who was forced into a U-turn over the way results were awarded - said: "I'm afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm.

"I know how stressful that must have been for pupils up and down the country.

"I'm very, very glad that it has finally been sorted out."

Gavin Williamson has insisted the new guidance on face masks in schools is not a U-turn, stressing the Government had always been "clear" that the advice was "under review". 

The Education Secretary was speaking having previously claimed measures being adopted by schools to limit the spread of the virus meant masks were not required and a day after a No 10 spokesman said there were no plans to review the guidance.

There is increasing unease on the Conservative backbenches about the number of times the Government has missed a target or backtracked during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Watch Mr Williamson's interview below. 

The headteachers union has recommended that all secondary schools ask pupils and staff to wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas unless there is a "compelling" reason not to.

Under Government guidelines, which changed overnight, only schools in areas of local lockdown are expected to make it mandatory, although it has been left to the discretion of those outside restricted zones. 

In a message to its members, general secretary Paul Whiteman said: "Once again, many school leaders will feel as though the Government has passed the buck and handed the difficult decision over to them.

"We will continue to lobby the Government to take a clear and unambiguous line on this.

"In the meantime, NAHT's advice is that it would be prudent for secondary schools to ask pupils and staff to wear face coverings in corridor and communal spaces unless there is a compelling reason not to.

"Erring on the side of caution would seem a sensible approach to take given the information coming out of the WHO [World Health Organisation]."

The chair of the Education Select Committee, has called on the chief medical officer Chris Whitty to explain the reason the face masks policy has changed in order to reassure parents and pupils.

Conservative MP Robert Halfon told PA Prof Whitty should "put out a letter about the mask policy" saying "what exactly it is and why it is and the science behind it, but in a way that ordinary folk can understand it."

He added: "We just have to concentrate on getting our kids learning again. Whatever has gone on the priority must be to get our kids learning and deal with issues of attainment.

"The Department [for Education] and schools need to get data on how much the left-behind pupils during the coronavirus need to catch up and what the effect of the loss of learning has been."

Joe Biden’s knowledge of British politics may extend no further than cribbing Neil Kinnock's speeches, but he and the Democratic Party’s leadership are repeating the errors of the Remainers in 2016.

America’s next election, like its last one, is for the Democrats to lose. And they way they’re going, argues Dominic Green, they will lose.

Like Remain before the EU referendum, the Democrats are campaigning with every conceivable institutional advantage. Like Remain before the referendum, the Democratic elite shows a barely concealed contempt for the undecided, let alone the opposition.

And, like Remain before the referendum, the Democrats have got some of the cleverest people they can find, steering them towards a reckoning with a public that returns their contempt.

There are reports coming in of a further two people who appear to have been reinfected with coronavirus, this time in Europe. 

An older person with a weakened immune system is said to have caught the virus for a second in the Netherlands, according to Dutch national broadcaster NOS.

The other person - in Belgium - was said to have experienced mild symptoms after catching the virus again in June, having reportedly first been infected in the second week of March.

It comes after authorities in Hong Kong confirmed the first case of a person being reinfected earlier this week. 

Although it still appears to be relatively rare, it does raise further questions about how the world's governments will approach this next challenge amid fears of further economic damage caused by more lockdowns. 

Boris Johnson has said the UK will help "ensure justice is done" after the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is currently in a coma in a German hospital.

The Prime Minister tweeted: "We need a full, transparent investigation into what happened. The perpetrators must be held accountable & the UK will join international efforts to ensure justice is done.

Earlier this week, a cross-party group of MPs wrote to the Russian ambassador to the UK, asking him to back an independent investigation into what took place. 

Labour has attacked the Government over "shameful" plans to appoint former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott as a joint president of the UK's Board of Trade, tasked with drumming up deals for Britain around the world.

Mr Abbott has been signed up as part of a drive to get a number of global “friends” to bang the drum for Brexit Britain, The Sun reports.

But Emily Thornberry, shadow secretary for international trade, said:   “Any way you look at it, this is an absolutely staggering appointment. On a personal level, it is shameful that Boris Johnson thinks this offensive, aggressive, leering, gaffe-prone misogynist is the right person to represent our country overseas.  

“And on a professional level, this is someone with no hands-on experience of negotiating trade agreements, who denies the climate change that we believe should be at the heart of our trade policy, and who clearly has no concept of the importance of Britain's trade with the EU.

"He was ousted by his own colleagues after just two years in power, and rejected by his own constituents just last year. They are the people who know him best, and wanted rid of him, yet here we are now, hiring him to negotiate our trade deals around the world."

Sinn Fein MLA Martina Anderson has issued an apology over a tweet she posted around a pension for those injured during the Northern Ireland Troubles.

She described the compensation scheme as "mainly for those who fought Britain's dirty war" before later deleting the tweet.

On Wednesday, Ms Anderson "apologised unreservedly for the hurt and offence caused by my tweet to people who suffered serious harm during the conflict here".

Posting on social media, she added: "My comments were clumsy, were not directed at them and it was never my intention to cause them any hurt.

"All victims of the conflict deserve acknowledgement of their pain and loss, and I support them in their efforts to get their pension."

The Government has made its latest U-turn of the coronavirus pandemic - now advising that face masks should be worn by secondary pupils and staff in some areas of England.

It comes after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson insisted measures being adopted by schools to limit the spread of the virus meant masks were not required and a day after a No 10 spokesman said there were no plans to review the guidance.

There is increasing unease on the Conservative backbenches about the number of times the Government has missed a target or backtracked during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We go through the many U-turns here.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has suggested his collaborator Sir Tim Rice could "fix the offending couplet" in Rule, Britannia! as the row over the Last Night Of The Proms rumbled on.

The outgoing director-general of the BBC, Lord Tony Hall, has said the decision to remove the lyrics was a "creative" one, but confirmed that the issue of dropping songs because of their association with Britain's imperial history had been discussed.

The lyrics include the lines: "Britons never, never, never shall be slaves", and: "The nations, not so blest as thee / Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall/ While thou shalt flourish great and free: The dread and envy of them all."

In a letter to The Times, Lord Lloyd-Webber said: "Played by an orchestra on its own the chorus will sound ordinary at best. There are some great British lyricists around who could fix the offending couplet. In the 50th anniversary year of Jesus Christ Superstar, the BBC should send for Tim Rice."    

The BBC Proms begin on Friday August 28 and run until September 12.

Boris Johnson has been accused of running a "Government by edict" after making a series of changes to rules during the pandemic without opening them up to democratic debate. 

Charles Walker, vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories, said that MPs were increasingly being "excluded" and urged Downing Street not to "suspend democratic decision-making". 

He's not the only Conservative MP to go public with his frustration at the way things have been handled lately. Huw Merriman also attacked ministers for causing confusion, and claiming the change on face masks risks making people more nervous about the reopening of schools.

So should parliament be having a greater say in policies - or will that slow the process down at a time when flexibility is essential?

Have your say in the poll below. 

The widow of PC Andrew Harper is due to meet the Home Secretary next month in an effort to harness major political support for a new law meaning those who kill emergency workers are jailed for life.

Lissie Harper, 29, said she was contacted by the Home Office to arrange face-to-face talks with Priti Patel.

Mrs Harper, whose campaign has secured nearly half a million signatures, said she was "delighted" that the Home Secretary had agreed to a meeting, and that her campaign is "vital and urgent".

Two of Pc Harper's killers - 18-year-olds Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole - last week lodged applications with the Court of Appeal seeking permission to challenge their convictions and their 13-year prison sentences.

They were jailed alongside Henry Long, 19, who was handed a 16-year sentence.

All three were acquitted of murder during a trial at the Old Bailey but were sentenced for the lesser charge of manslaughter after Pc Harper was dragged to his death along dark country lanes.

Those sentences have also been referred to the Court of Appeal by Attorney General Suella Braverman for judges to decide whether they were too lenient. 

Face masks will only be mandatory in schools located within local lockdown areas, Gavin Williamson has stressed, after the Government performed yet another U-turn overnight. 

Despite ministers and officials repeatedly ruling out the need for face coverings over the past 72 hours, thousands of children across England will be required to wear them in communal areas such as corridors and libraries when they return to school next week.

The Education Secretary was at pains to distance his policy from that of Scotland, despite it apparently being yet another instance of Westminster being bounced into a shift because of Holyrood, telling Sky News it was different because it will only apply to areas under lockdown - currently Leicester and much of the North West - with headteachers in other areas allowed to make their own decisions.

He also told BBC Breakfast there was "no intention" of extending face mask advice beyond areas under local lockdown.

The Government is "excluding" MPs from "democratic decision-making", a senior Conservative has said. 

Charles Walker, vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs, told Times Radio this was a view that was "shared by quite a few of my colleagues" and that increasingly we would see "new voices starting to make concerns" public. 

He added: "I am not against Government making big decisions, that is what they are elected to do. 

"But big decisions need to be taken in conjunction with debate... this further shows how excluded we are."

Mr Walker said the pandemic was "one of the biggest [crises] since 1939" but stressed: "We mustn't just suspend democratic decision making."

"This is becoming ridiculous," he added, noting some of the restrictions included preventing parents "have their children around for lunch and to stay the night."

He added: "The Government must go back to parliament and get another mandate to do it."

The Government's policy changes seem to be happening "about three days after Nicola Sturgeon makes a decision", a senior Conservative has said. 

Charles Walker, vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs, told Times Radio that "increasing number of my colleagues are now very worried" by the way decisions were being taken without "democratic debate" by those who had been elected to represent constituents.  

"The common currency across the Conservative party is that most of us meant to be participating... just end up scratching our heads," he said. "Thing now seems to be changing on a daily basis, and there is now growing concern that they tend to change about three days after Nicola Sturgeon makes a decision.

"I though we were the United Kingdom, I though the Prime Minister was most powerful politician in the land,I thought we had great scientists who we were supposed to listened to - but none of this seems to count anymore."

The Government must stop "making policy on the hoof" and open it up to proper Parliamentary scrutiny, a senior Conservative has said. 

Charles Walker, vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs, told Times Radio he was "disappointed" by the latest U-turn, claiming the changes on face mask advice was "restricting people's liberties and freedoms, with very little scientific evidence" and simply "window dressing".

He said: "The Government can exercise its majority... but it's the duty of members of Parliament to discuss big policy issues."

Mr Walker said he had had enough of "Government by edict", calling for a "proper parliamentary meeting with significant numbers in the chamber". The current limit of 50 MPs "completely destroys debate and democracy", he added. 

"The Government cannot make this stuff up on the hoof, saying one thing on Monday, changing its mind on Tuesday and something different presented on Wednesday - it's just not acceptable."

Face masks in schools could lead to "chaos in the classrooms" and actually hinder efforts to catch them up on the education they have lost under lockdown, a leading teacher has warned. 

Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of the Michaela Community School in London, told the Today programme that it would make teachers "unable to hold children to account for their behaviour" because it would be harder to spot who had said what. 

Discipline was "incremental and it slowly deteriorates like a frog... slowly boiling to death," she added. 

Ms Birbalsingh said teenagers could not be compared to lab technicians wearing masks, saying: "Children in groups in schools behave very differently... the idea these children will be wearing masks perfectly and not bullying each other... We need to consider that when considering whether they will make a a difference to children's safety."

Face masks could actually make students less safe when you "take into account children's behaviour", a leading headteacher has warned. 

Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of the Michaela Community School in London, told the Today programme that ministers needed to consider the unintended consequences of their latest U-turn, which will make face masks mandatory for students aged 12 and over in corridors and communal areas in schools that fall within lockdown locations. 

She said: "What about the children who turn up to school with uniforms that haven't been washed?... They will be wearing reused, dirty masks. They will pop them they will ping them, they will lick and spit on each others' masks for a joke. They will wear them incorrectly, they will lose them.

"When half of your students turn up without masks, what do you do? Do you exclude them? The girls will be in the loos, checking their masks, making sure they look nice, touching their faces all the more.

"We need to take into account children's behaviour - and I would actually argue they make them less safe."

A union boss has welcomed the "clarity" and "flexibility" of the Government's latest U-turn on face masks in schools. 

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School & College Leaders, told BBC Breakfast: "We now know that if you are in an area of high risk you will have to wear a face covering if you are in secondary school.

"If you are not in a high area of risk, then it will be at the discretion of your school or your college.

"I think that kind of clarity which gives that flexibility will not be welcomed by everybody, but it will be welcomed, I think, by a lot of the headteachers and other senior leaders I represent."

Gavin Williamson has said he did not ask Sally Collier to resign as head of England's exams regulator, Ofqual.

Asked whether he had asked Ms Collier to step down, the Education Secretary told the BBC's Breakfast programme: "No, this was a decision that Sally made, an incredibly dedicated and committed public servant, and in discussions with the Ofqual board, which, as you're aware, is a non-ministerial government department.

"And that was a decision between them."

Gavin Williamson has ruled out using a rota system for secondary schools if there is another lockdown - but then hinted it could still happen. 

The Education Secretary told the Today programme: "We are not going to be doing it on a rota basis. We are in a place where we are able to welcome all children back in schools."

But he added: "We will not hesitate to look at any measures to ensure any children, even if their communities are under local lockdown, can access education... We have a high confidence we are able to run a full education system."

Mr Williamson said: "We never expect to be in a situation where closing schools down across the country... the very, very very last thing that will be looked at is closing schools."

"All sorts of other things" would be restricted or shut before schools, he added, saying that was the "absolute last resort". 

Gavin Williamson has insisted the change on face mask advice is not another U-turn, stressing that his department has been "clear throughout that we were keeping this under review."

He told the Today programme: "We always listen to best scientific and medical advice.

"The first guidance in May... was quite clear about keeping this under review. In July... we again were clear about the fact this was something constantly under review."

He added: "You would always hope politicians don't take a dogmatic or brittle approach to anything... taking a really careful, cautious approach."

He said he and the Prime Minister had changed the advice because "we don't want those areas [under lockdown] falling further behind" because of school closures. 

Gavin Williamson ruled out mandatory requirements for face coverings in schools being extended further, stressing that the change in advice will ensure they are not closed during lockdowns.

When asked if the measures could be extended, he told the BBC: "No, no, there's no intention of extending it beyond that because as both (Dr Jenny Harries) said and (Schools minister Nick Gibb) said is that actually that isn't what is required.

"But where you're seeing in local lockdown areas, we recognise the importance in making sure that we maintain education in every part of the country.

"The last thing that we ever want to see close is schools and we need to ensure that all schools are open so that children are able to access our world-class education that we all want to see them benefiting from."

The change in advice on wearing face masks in school is part of a "cautious and careful approach" towards getting children back into schools, Gavin Williamson has said

The Education Secretary told LBC: "We don't want to be seeing children ... wearing masks in schools up and down the country, but in certain areas where it's necessary, where we're in local lockdown.

"This has been typical at every stage of this crisis that we have taken a cautious and careful approach welcoming children back to schools. I think that's what people expect and that's what we're doing in this instance.

"We've seen the move welcomed by unions in terms of clarity that it brings, because there was some concern in the teaching community, quite understandably, when they saw the advice come out from the World Health Organisation."

Gavin Williamson has failed to answer whether he takes responsibility for the chaos and U-turns within the Department for Education three times. 

Asked once, the Education Secretary told BBC Breakfast the ""whole country is dealing with an unprecedented situation". 

Asked a second time, he pointed to the same "policy approach" on exams that was taken by Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians in Wales, by the SNP in Scotland and the DUP/Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland. 

He added he was: "Taking responsibly to deliver the very best for young people, and for all schools to be opened over the next few weeks."

But asked a third time, he said: "At every stage, everyone takes responsibility for what they do and how they approach things.

"What we are focusing on is delivering the best for the children across the country."

Gavin Williamson has insisted the change in face mask advice will only affect a "very, very small number" of schools, under lockdown. 

The Education Secretary told Sky News: "As we look towards next week and the following week as more and more schools come back, we want to create an environment that has safety at the absolute core of everything that we do.

"Because the safety for pupils, the safety for those who work in schools, is absolutely critical for all of us."

Mr Williamson added: "What we're recommending in terms of mandating the wearing of face coverings in communal areas for secondary schools is only in a very, very small number of areas in the country which are in local lockdown.

"What we're doing is we recognise that there are added concerns in those communities about transmission.

"But we also recognise how important it is for every child to get back."

The "best" scientific and medical advice indicates that the wearing of face coverings in all schools is not necessary, Gavin Williamson has said.

The Education Secretary told Sky News: "We always follow and listen to the best scientific and medical advice, and that's why we're not recommending that face coverings should be mandatory right across the country in all schools.

"The best scientific and medical advice says that that isn't necessary."

Mr Williamson added: "We are recognising the fact that there are certain areas of the country where there's a high instance, or a higher instance, of coronavirus that we're taking an extra precautionary measure.

"When we do look at school return, the key thing, the thing that has informed us most of all, yes, it is for scientific and medical advice and it's been on the basis of how we ensure that all schools are as safe as possible."

A senior Conservative MP has told the Today programme he is "sick and tired of the way we are treating young people", and said the Government "needs to get a grip, be certain, inspire confidence rather than just changing its mind". 

Transport Select Committee chair Huw Merriman said he was concerned that changing the advice on face masks risked damaging the message "that schools are safe with the measures that have been taken". 

He added: "Young people just need to be able to get on with their education. Anything that sends the message out that is not safe in corridors suggests it is not safe in classroom - it's a slippery slope."

"My concern is we just keep making this up as we go along."

He added he was "sick and tired, many people are sick and tired" of advice constantly changing, saying it was "baffling, confusing, and causing worry".

He also called out ministers for "hiding behind the science". 

Boris Johnson has told the BBC to end its “self-recrimination and wetness” as he called its decision to censor Rule, Britannia! a “cringing embarrassment”.

The Prime Minister was said to have been “spitting feathers” when he learned of the BBC’s decision to perform the song, as well as Land of Hope and Glory, without lyrics at the Last Night of the Proms, after critics drew links to slavery and colonialism.

The BBC director general, Lord Hall, said the organisers of the Proms had come to “the right conclusion”, but Mr Johnson did not pull his punches as he spoke to reporters on a visit to Devon.

He said: "I just want to say, and they’re trying to restrain me from saying this... I think it's time we stopped our cringing embarrassment about our history, about our traditions, and about our culture, and we stopped this general bout of self-recrimination and wetness. I wanted to get that off my chest."