TEACHERS in Worcester have admitted having "mixed feelings" after the government announced students will return to school later than usual after Christmas.

Because of the rising Covid-19 infection rates, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced secondary school pupils will not return until January 11 at the earliest, with some not returning until January 18.

Under the new timetable, the majority of primary schools will return on January 4 except those in areas with the highest Covid infection rates.

On the same day, the children of key workers and vulnerable children will be able to return to secondary schools.

Despite this, secondary students in exam years will only be able to return to class on January 11.

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All other secondary school students will be out of school until January 18, when they will be allowed to return.

Announcing a U-turn on the planned staggered reopening, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said students in exam years will return to secondary schools a week later than planned, from January 11.

Other secondary and college students will go back full-time on January 18, he told Parliament.

Mr Williamson told MPs in the Commons that the Government had to make an “immediate adjustment” to its plans for the reopening of schools in early January.

Neil Morris, headteacher of Christopher Whitehead Language College in Worcester, said he understood the late opening, but felt "saddened" for students and their parents.

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He added: "I am particularly concerned for our exam group, Year 11 - many of whom will be undertaking their fourth or fifth period of remote learning.

"No matter how robust the recorded lessons offered and ours are good this is so hard for families whose IT is not sufficient to allow students time to study.

"We still await the promised government laptops and, crucially, we still await announcements regarding the exam assessment criteria for A-levels and GCSEs with the June exams looming."

Lindsey Cooke, headteacher of Hanley Castle High School, said she had "mixed feelings" about the announcement.

She said: "Teaching staff will return to school on a Monday as planned, in order to implement our remote learning plan.

"This means that all students will be set work on Monday and we will move to full-time online learning from 8.45am on Tuesday morning.

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"We were looking forward to welcoming our Year 11 and Year 13 students back to school on Monday, many of them have BTEC and OCR National exams to sit in the next few weeks.

"Obviously, these will still go ahead as planned, but some face-to-face teaching to finalise their preparations would have been welcome.

"However, although infection rates remain relatively low in the Malvern Hills district, concerns about the new variant mean that the additional time the school will have to implement rapid testing for all students is welcome.

"This is not the new year that any of us would have wanted, but we need to do whatever it takes to take the pressure off the NHS and to keep families safe until mass vaccination allows a return to more normal conditions."

Gareth Doodes, headmaster of The King's School, said he and his staff are "determined" to make pupil Covid testing work.

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He said: "Aside from the extreme lateness and chaotic announcement of the new arrangements that were initially leaked on December 17, with protocols clarified on December 23 and then amendments to previous communications given by Gavin Williamson on December 30, only three working days before schools reopen, my team and I are determined to make school testing work.

"We are also determined to make King’s as safe a working environment as possible for my staff, and determined to keep the school open so pupils can be fully prepared for public exams, supporting our parents as they undertake their own work.

"There will be some challenging and probably dark days ahead, but it is always darkest before the dawn, and everyone involved with King’s will work together as a family for the sake of our pupils and staff.

"We will look back on this period as one where we developed perseverance and determination, all fuelled by love and support for each other."

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Cllr Marcus Hart, Worcestershire County Council cabinet member with responsibility for education and skills, said: "Our number one priority is the safety of children and staff who work in our schools, and we will continue to work closely with schools and other settings to support the education they deliver to our children and young people.

"A lot of work and planning is happening with schools that have chosen to offer mass testing to secondary aged pupils in the new year.

"We will continue to work through the detailed guidance issued by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) that has been provided to all school leaders to make this happen.

"The staggered return for secondary-aged pupils announced by the Government this week should help with this complex mass testing programme and create more certainty for schools."