Heads and teachers have spent months making schools safe for pupils to come back this week, but the return is mired in confusion due to last-minute Tory meddling.
And most staff do not believe they will be able to keep social distances between themselves and kids, while more than a third feel the Government’s approach to safety in class is unworkable and leaves them “at risk”.
It came as fury grew at Education Secretary Gavin Williamson after he slipped out critical guidance at midnight on Friday for reopening schools – a move branded an “insult”.
National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Paul Whiteman said teachers had done their best to ensure schools were safe to reopen as up to 8.9 million pupils prepare to return.
But he warned staff should not be blamed if there are any local spikes of coronavirus after the return.
Writing for the Mirror, Mr Whiteman says: “The best laid plans will be sternly tested when they come into contact with the real world in the coming weeks. Schools have done what they can.
“If the R-rate increases, it would be entirely wrong to lay any blame for that at the door of school leaders.
“Civil servants have been blamed for recent failings and removed, this must not happen to educators.”
And he warned the Government threatening parents with fines if they refuse to send children back to school “won’t help at all”.
A shock survey of nearly 6,000 school staff in England found 86% of respondents said minimising contact between pupils will not be possible.
Two-thirds fear guidance to avoid busy corridors, entrances and exits is unrealistic. The TES survey also found than more than a quarter of staff may not comply with the test and trace programme should there be a Covid-19 outbreak at school.
Mr Williamson had sparked outrage by releasing the last-minute guidance at the weekend, as schools across England prepare to open tomorrow
or Wednesday.
Put out on a government website, it said secondary pupils could be kept at home on a two-week rota in areas under local lockdown.
But the advice was changed within minutes, to remove a passage that said if one case is confirmed, an entire year group might be asked to isolate for 14 days. NAHT said the timing of the release was “nothing short of reprehensible and demonstrates a complete lack of regard for the wellbeing of school leaders and their teams”.
Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green added: “The Government’s incompetence is insulting to the school leaders and teachers who have worked so hard over summer to prepare schools for children to return.
“School is the best place for children to be in September, but this government has repeatedly failed to show the leadership that they, their families and their teachers deserve.”
Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton said: “To wait until the Friday night before most schools return isn’t the Government’s finest moment.
"Obviously, schools haven’t had any chance whatsoever to incorporate this into their planning and will now have to revisit the plans they have put in place.”
Mr Williamson insisted any changes to school attendance “will only ever be an absolute last resort”.
But he added: “It is important that both government and schools prepare for a worst case scenario, so this framework represents the sensible contingency planning any responsible government would put in place.”
Unions predict around 97% of schools will reopen fully this week. But Labour has called on ministers to push back 2021 exams to help students catch up.
Ms Green said: “Pupils across the country who have missed out on vital teaching time will have a mountain to climb to prepare for May exams unless the Government steps in. Ministers had warning after warning about problems with this year’s exam results, but allowed it to descend into a fiasco.
“This is too important for Boris Johnson to leave until to the last minute. Pupils heading back to school need clarity and certainty about the year ahead.”
Education Committee chair Robert Halfon has urged exam regulator Ofqual to make a decision within weeks on whether to hold tests in 2021. He said: “It is 50/50 that they go ahead next summer. Schools, the Department for Education and Ofsted need to work out how much disruption there will be to pupils’ learning in the coming year.”
The Department for Education said: “We recognise students due to take exams next summer will have experienced disruption, which is why we prioritised bringing Year 10 and Year 12 pupils back last term. Exams will go ahead next year.
“We have been closely working with the sector, Ofqual and exam boards to consider our approach.”
By last night 41,499 people had died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, an increase of one on the day before. Separate figures from the UK’s statistics agencies show there have been 57,200 UK fatalities where the virus was mentioned on the death certificate.
Worldwide cases passed 25 million yesterday as India hit a record for daily new infections, with 78,761.
