Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the impact of teacher absences as a result of covid-19 on pupils' education.

As of latest available data on 14 October, over 99.95% (nearly all) of state-funded schools were open to pupils. 1.8% of teachers and school leaders and 1.6% of teaching assistants and other staff were absent from open schools due to COVID-19 related reasons on 14 October.

Our priority is for schools to deliver face-to-face, high-quality education to all pupils. The evidence is clear that being out of education causes significant harm to educational attainment, life chances, mental and physical health. Therefore, the government has made it a national priority that nurseries, schools and colleges should continue to operate as normally as possible during the COVID-19 outbreak.

We have made rapid lateral flow device (LFD) tests available to secondary pupils and students and staff in schools and colleges. Staff are encouraged to continue testing twice weekly from home, 3-4 days apart to reduce transmission.

School leaders are best placed to determine the workforce required to meet the needs of their pupils. In the case of staff absence, schools should follow their usual process for covering absences. This may include engaging supply teachers and other supply staff. We recommend that schools consider using the Department for Education’s and Crown Commercial Service’s agency supply deal when hiring agency workers, as this offers a list of preferred suppliers that must be transparent about the rates they charge, details of which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers. The Teaching Vacancies service can also help schools to list vacancies for both permanent and fixed-term teaching staff quickly.