Education Secretary gives new update on plans for reopening schools in England

Gavin Williamson said the government did not have a fixed date for reopening schools but ruled out the prospect of them opening over the summer holidays.

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He told MPs: “I do expect schools to be opened in a phased manner. I also intend to be giving schools as much notice as possible.”

Schools closed their doors to the majority of pupils, apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable youngsters, more than five weeks ago.

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Addressing the Education Select Committee, Mr Williamson said: “We recognise that the idea of schools all returning on day one with the full complement of pupils is not realistic or practical.”

Mr Williamson did not say which year groups could return first, but he said they were looking at best practice in other countries, such as Germany and Denmark, where schools had begun to reopen.

The minister added that there was no plan to ‘run schools through the summer’.

When asked whether the government would update its guidance on Personal Protective Equipment and social distancing in schools to ensure teachers were kept safe, Mr Williamson said: “It is incredibly important that we get the right balance in terms of actually making sure that we create an environment that is good to learn in but also that is a safe environment for people to both work in and learn in as well.”

Mr Williamson was pressed by MPs on what the government was doing to ensure the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers did not widen amid school closures.

Tory MP Robert Halfon, chairman of the committee, warned of a potential ‘wave of educational poverty’, safeguarding worries for children and a ‘digital divide’ from the Covid-19 lockdown.

He asked whether the government would support his idea of an ‘army’ of volunteers - made up of retired teachers, graduates, and Ofsted inspectors - to help tutor and mentor disadvantaged children when the lockdown ended.

Mr Williamson said the government was ‘open’ to ideas.

Free laptops and tablets to help disadvantaged pupils are to be provided by the government.