SCHOOLS hit by the sudden closure lockdown brought have said they are adapting despite the lateness of the decision.

In Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement he said all schools and colleges now had to move to online learning, with schools remaining closed for all pupils, apart from the children of key workers or those who are vulnerable, until the February half-term.

It left many teachers, who had been preparing to welcome back pupils this week using lateral flow Covid tests, suddenly faced with an overnight switch back to the online teaching similar to the March lockdown of last year.

Lindsey Cooke, the headteacher of Hanley Castle High School, said they had been preparing to test pupils, in anticipation of their return before the announcement came last night.

“We are open to keyworker children, they will be tested, but we were looking forward to welcoming back our year 11s," the head said.

“They did an excellent job with their mocks, and we were looking forward to preparing them for their summer exams, having been told they wouldn’t be cancelled.

“There is disappointment we haven’t been allowed to plan for this. But our students will have five lessons a day, and will follow them from home.

"Whatever is thrown at us we will cope with but it is frustrating we have so little notice.”

Gareth Doodes, headmaster of The King’s School in Worcester, said: “I think the whole thing could have been much better handled, in terms of communication to school leaders.

“I think schools have done really well over the past six months, despite the mixed messages that have come from the Department for Education.

“The frustrating things is the eleventh hour - many of us would have seen this coming but with a little bit more foresight, we might have been able to prepare better.”

Mr Doodes said he was now calling for teachers to be vaccinated, so children could get back to school.

“I’m not saying for one minute teachers should jump the queue in front of those working in hospitals, but to keep the economy going and for pupils health and wellbeing, the only way to keep schools open is by vaccinating staff and regularly testing pupils.”

Mr Doodes added he was now offering the school’s facilities to help with the vaccine rollout.