Schools are reintroducing restrictions after pandemic infections surge

Over a million children are living under increased restrictions as rising Covid cases have caused some schools to close early for half-term.

Councils across the country have reintroduced face masks, bubbles and staggered break times, while others have stepped up self-isolation rules for youngsters.

There are now 17 local authorities in England which are recommending more stringent rules, which together affects 1,098,349 pupils at 3,250 schools, an analysis by The Daily Telegraph has found. Headteachers have been told by ministers that many of the restrictions which were in place last academic year are no longer necessary. However, as cases rise in schools, local public health teams are increasingly encouraging schools to ramp up their measures.

Some schools have closed early ahead of the October half-term holiday, citing the rise in cases as a reason to switch to remote learning.

Nine Maidens Academy in Cornwall moved to remote learning at the start of the week while Admiral Lord Nelson School, in Portsmouth, Hampshire closed its doors on Thursday owing to “rapid” rise in cases.

A dozen councils are now advising secondary school pupils in their area to wear face masks in communal areas at school, and several have introduced more stringent self-isolate rules for children. This week, Walsall council advised primary schools to reintroduce bubbles and staggered lunch breaks, as well as moving all “nonessential” events online. Windsor council has also told schools to avoid mixing classes or year groups and to cancel assemblies.

Union leaders have repeatedly called for more restrictions in schools, with Kevin Courtney, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union claiming that the Government’s failure to introduce stricter rules such as face masks is “irresponsible”.

The National Association of Headteachers has urged ministers to bring back rules that would see healthy children kept at home if a sibling tests positive. But ministers have been warned that parents are “despairing” and their patience with the Government has “worn out”. Molly Kingsley, co-founder of the parent campaign group Usforthem, said: “Children have been disproportionately burdened by these pandemic restrictions for too long. Now adults are back to normal and the Government ought to be worried about the detrimental impact this is having on children. Parents are really despairing about this”.

Government guidelines state that children should only self-isolate if they are showing symptoms or have a positive PCR test result. But some councils – including Calderdale, Cheshire East and Suffolk – have brought back self-isolation rules for children if a sibling or other member of their household has tested positive. Meanwhile other councils – such as Cumbria and Suffolk – say children need to self-isolate for three to five days if a family member has Covid, then take a PCR test and only return to school if it is negative.

But youngsters are exempt from self-isolation if they have had the vaccine, which means unvaccinated children face missing up to a week of school more than their vaccinated peers. This has led to accusations that such policies are enabling “vaccine apartheid” in schools.

Earlier this month, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health called on ministers to bring Covid testing in schools to an end.

Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the RCPCH, said that the current regime in secondary schools – where pupils are told to take two lateral flow tests each week – is causing “unnecessary chaos”.

“You are asking completely healthy children to test, with the potential to be excluded [from school], there is just a real concern that we are increasing a level of chaos into the system that is unnecessary,” she said.

According to official guidance, secondary school-aged children should take lateral flow tests twice a week. But some council chiefs have asked for this to be stepped up to daily testing if a member of the household has tested positive, with York also telling primary school-aged children to take part in daily testing.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our priority is protecting face-to-face education, and vaccinations and regular testing are the best defence against the virus. That is why we are supporting schools to encourage their pupils to keep testing, as well as making it possible for 12-15-yearolds to get their jab.”