Staff absences due to covid
- Over half (53%) of teachers in state schools reported 1 in 20 or more of their school’s staff are currently absent due to covid, with 20% reporting that 1 in 10 or more are off.
- Absence rates are higher in state than in private schools, where just 12% of teachers said 1 in 10 or more of their school’s staff were absent.
- Staff absences were more pronounced in the most deprived state schools, which were two and a half times more likely than private schools to report that one in 10 or more of their staff were absent (29% vs 12%).
- Absence rates also differed by region, with 35% of teachers the North West, and 28% in Yorkshire and the North East reporting 1 in 10 or more staff absent, compared to just 12% in the South West and 11% in the East of England.
- Across the country, roughly 4% of teachers reported they were isolating due to covid this Monday (10th January).
Challenges facing schools
- Teachers were asked about other issues they are currently facing during this wave of the pandemic. The most common issue cited by state schools was non-teaching staff having to cover lessons due to staff absences (28%), with almost 1 in 10 (8%) teachers saying that more than one class was being taught together due to staff shortages.
- Despite a recruitment drive for ex and retired teachers, 25% of state school teachers reported their school was struggling to find cover for absences.
- 8% of teachers said that staff at their school were unable to come in due to a lack of access to lateral flow or PCR test. This was more of an issue in the most deprived state schools, where it was reported by 10% of teachers, compared to 5% in the most affluent state schools.
Digital access and remote learning
- As a consequence of this disruption, with both staff and pupils off due to covid, 25% of state school teachers said they had prepared materials for online learning in the last week.
- However, 29% of state school teachers reported more than 10% of their school’s isolating pupils still don’t have access to devices for remote learning. This figure was 48% in the most deprived state schools.