SCHOOLS face being sued by the Government if they close early for Christmas.
At least one council has already told some of its schools it would support their move to close early if they moved to online learning the last week of the term.
Secondary schools in London and the South East are expected to tell parents they will be closing early.
Furthermore, some headteachers whose schools do stay open will turn a blind eye if parents keep their children at home, The Daily Telegraph reports.
New powers introduced through the Coronavirus Act allow the Government to issue “directions” to headteachers around education provision during the pandemic.
If schools fail to comply after being told to stay open then Education Secretary Gavin Williamson could apply for a High Court injunction forcing them to do so.
The Department for Education (DfE) said this would only be used as a “last resort” and a court order would be the “final stage”.
It comes as a headteacher in Ware, Herts. was sent a “minded to direct” warning from Schools Minister Nick Gibb about how emergency powers could be used.
EMERGENCY POWERS
Presdales School had planned to switch to online learning for the final week of term to ensure staff and pupils did not have to self-isolate on Christmas Day, Schools Week reported.
But it was said to have scrapped the plans after receiving the letter.
It comes as schools have been told they can take an inset day next Friday and finish term early for Christmas.
Schools Standards Minister Nick Gibb said the move allows staff to have a “proper break” without having to “engage in the track and trace issues” on Christmas Eve.
Teachers are expected to be available for the first six days of the school holidays to help with contact tracing and informing families if they need to isolate.
Mr Gibb told MPs: “We are about to announce that inset days can be used on Friday December 18, even if an inset day had not been originally scheduled for that day.
“We want there to be a clear six days so that by the time we reach Christmas Eve staff can have a proper break without having to engage in the track and trace issues.”
The schools minister added it would allow teachers to get a “proper break” over the festive period.
Staff were told last week they were expected to be on call right up to December 24, so that if any coronavirus outbreaks had been reported after the school closed teachers could help with contact tracing.
It appears that the inset day must be taken from 2021’s allocated days, reports Schools Week.
Current guidance states schools must take “swift action” if they are made aware of a covid outbreak.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, had demanded schools were allowed to close early and said there would be a “steep drop” in pupil attendance next week anyway as parents seek to prioritise family safety.
It comes as thousands of teen schoolkids will get Covid tests amid fears they are fuelling a devastating third wave.
Emergency testing teams will be sent to secondary schools across the South East to swab pupils and their families.
School staff will also be able to access 44,000 home test kits to use before schools return in January.
