Covid cases on the decline in childcare settings and schools, official figures suggest

The latest data from the Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus pandemic, reveal that on 26 January, 12 per cent of paid staff were absent from work for Covid-related reasons, down from 14 per cent a week earlier (14 per cent).

The percentage of children attending childcare also slightly increased on 26 January as did the percentage of open settings. On 31 January, 95 per cent of settings, who responded to the DfE’s weekly ‘Pulse’ survey were fully open, slightly up from 93 per cent the week prior.

However as fewer providers responded to the latest survey, 1,060 compared to 1,952 the week prior, the figures are not directly comparable.

The publication of the figures comes after Ofsted released data on the number of Covid notifications by early years settings, which showed a jump in the number of cases between 3-17 January.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

The same DfE figures on attendance also include schools’ data. It shows the number of children and staff off due to Covid-19 ‘related reasons’ has also dropped slightly.

As of 3 February, 320,000 children were absent from school, down from 415,000 on 20 January.

According to the statistics, 4.4 per cent of teachers and school leaders were off at the beginning of February, compared to 4.5 per cent s fortnight earlier.

The National Education Union welcomed the fall in Covid-related absence, but said overall ‘numbers still remained high’ with around one in 25 pupils and staff absent due to the virus as a national average.

Joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said, ‘The NEU has consistently called for greater investment in air filtration and ventilation, measures which would still help to bring down current infection rates in schools and colleges and reduce the ​disruption to education.’