Welcome to the Tes coronavirus liveblog. The outbreak of Covid-19 is an uncertain time for everyone, but schools and teachers are facing unprecedented disruption with schools now closed and exams cancelled.
Here, we aim to help teachers in the UK and in international schools by gathering together all the relevant stories in one place and keeping you updated with the latest news and announcements as and when they happen.
And, as ever, we also want to hear from you. What is different in your school, in your working life, because of the virus?
If you have stories you want to share or information you think should be circulated, then contact us at: william.stewart@tesglobal.com; charlotte.santry@tesglobal.com and Mary-Louise.Clews@tes.com.
Lockdown ‘could widen GCSE attainment gap’
As schools embark on yet another week of distance learning, concerns are mounting for pupils who may struggle to keep on track with their education from home.
Now, as a new study shows children with a social worker are falling significantly behind their peers by the time they sit their GCSEs, researchers are warning that the Covid-19 lockdown could widen the attainment gap even further.
The study, by the University of Bristol and the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford, suggests that one in seven of all children in England have come into contact with a social worker at some stage during their school years – and at every key stage of learning these children have worse outcomes than those who have had no intervention.
The researchers found that many parents of children in need said they were living in poverty and found it difficult to afford what their children needed for school, such as computers and internet access.
They are now calling on the government and schools to provide the same amount of support to children in need as they do to children in care.
Read the full story here.
No Ofsted inspections until September
Chief inspector Amanda Spielman told MPs today that full Ofsted inspections were “not likely to resume before the end of the summer term”.
She also said there were “no expectations around what schools should be doing on the education front” during the partial-closures due to Coronavirus.
Read the full story here
More concerns over potential bias in 2020 GCSEs and A levels
Racial equality groups have said the DfE and Ofqual are not doing enough to “address any possible bias” against disadvantaged or black students in this summer’s GCSE and A level grades.
Both The Runnymede Trust and BME Governors are writing to Gavin Williamson and Ofqual calling on them to implement training for teachers to ensure this year’s teacher-assessed grades will be fair.
Meanwhile the Equality and Human Rights Commission has told Tes that it is "monitoring" Ofqual's plans for this summer's grading.
Brian Cox praises teachers' 'skill and professionalism'
As many parents have discovered over the past few weeks, teaching is a challenging occupation.
Even professors of particle physics can struggle to explain concepts like forces, mass and the solar system in a way that makes sense to, and engages, children - as Professor Brian Cox has found while home-schooling his 10-year-old son.
The well-known scientist says he has even more respect for teachers now, and has praised the "skill and professionalism of teachers" on national TV.
UK's biggest ever school assembly
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will deliver a message of hope to school pupils across the country in the online Oak National Academy's first assembly this week.
Education secretary, Gavin Williamson, will also appear in what is expected to be the biggest school assembly ever held in the UK.
The Archbishop's address will be streamed through Tes from 10am on Thursday. It will then remain available on the Oak National Academy website.
Put ‘army’ of retired teachers into schools, says MP
Last month, retired nurses and doctors were called upon to help out during the pandemic. Could retired teachers receive a similar message?
Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons Education Select Committee, wants volunteers to work in schools when they reopen to help disadvantaged pupils to catch up.
He told Tes the scheme should be similar to the volunteer responders programme set up to help the NHS cope during the coronavirus pandemic, but with the focus on schools and education.
But there are doubts in the profession as to how this could work in practice. Full story here.
Boris Johnson returns to work
Good morning.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has returned to work this morning following his recovery from coronavirus.
Speaking outside Downing Street in the past hour, he did not build on first minister Dominic Raab's comments yesterday that school openings were "inconceivable" without social distancing.
He told the British public to "contain your impatience" and to continue with social distancing measures. The five tests for an easing of the current restrictions have not yet been made, he said.
He added that "difficult judgements will be made", although he was unable to "spell out when those changes will be made".
However, he said that the government "will be saying much more about this in the coming days" and would be "relying on science" but trying to find consensus about the way forward.
We will continue to bring all you the latest updates throughout the day, and you can catch up on last week's developments here.
