Doncaster pupils miss more than 1 million school days due to Covid

Pupils in Doncaster missed more than 1 million days of school in spring due to coronavirus, figures reveal.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Association of School and College Leaders said the pandemic has caused massive disruption in England and warned schools across the country are "not out of the woods yet".

Department for Education figures show pupils across Doncaster missed the equivalent of 1.2 million days of in-person education between January and the end of March for coronavirus related reasons – 57.8 per cent of all possible school days.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the autumn term, 236,872 days were missed for this reason, meaning youngsters were absent for 1.4 million school days over the two terms – equating to roughly 34 per pupil.

Pupils in Doncaster missed more than 1 million days of school in spring due to coronavirus.Pupils in Doncaster missed more than 1 million days of school in spring due to coronavirus.
Pupils in Doncaster missed more than 1 million days of school in spring due to coronavirus.

The figures include state-funded primary, secondary and special schools in the area.

Children across England were sent home to self-isolate when coronavirus cases were detected in the autumn.

But for the majority of the spring term, students – except children of key workers and vulnerable pupils – were told to learn remotely amid the national lockdown.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Around 252 million school days were missed nationally because of Covid-19 over both terms – 29.4 per cent

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL, said: “Covid has caused widespread educational disruption across the country, but the impact hasn’t been uniform.

"Even when schools were fully open during the last academic year, attendance varied widely depending on local circumstances.

"Unfortunately, there is still a very high level of disruption taking place this term and we are not out of the woods yet."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said the immediate priority for the Government should be to end disruption by increasing the vaccination roll out for 12 to 15-year-olds and encouraging twice-weekly home-testing.

James Bowen, director of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “This data serves as a useful reminder at just how disruptive the pandemic has been for children and young people.

“Schools worked hard to provide remote learning, but we know that is no substitute for being in the classroom."

Schools record general absence – including when authorised and unauthorised – separately, with 3.3 per cent of sessions missed during the spring term due to absence.

In Doncaster, the absence rate was 3.6 per cent.