Headteachers in England have warned that staff shortages in the new term caused by teachers isolating after testing positive for Covid will be “challenging” for some schools and could lead to more pupils learning online.
Caroline Derbyshire, executive head at Saffron Walden County high school in Essex, and leader of Saffron academy trust, told PA Media:
We know that (staff shortages) will be a factor and there will be schools in particular parts of the country where rates have been extremely high where staffing will be difficult.
But this sort of mass of supply teachers that are supposed to be there – that’s not happened, has it, so if we have got shortages it’ll be colleagues who are in school who’ll be doing most of the covering.
She said the idea of merging classes, as suggested by the education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, in the event of shortages, had already been carried out by schools “all term last term”, but it was “not a long-term solution”.
She said staff shortages would “absolutely” make remote learning more likely, adding:
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