Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is considering extending school days, shortening the summer holiday or adding an extra term to the year. By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline, Published: 13:42 GMT, 5 March 2021 | Updated: 20:03 GMT, 5 March 2021. In May 2019, Lynn Parker's husband of 42 years, Alastair, moved into a care home after he was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis. ', Year 10 students wait to take a coronavirus test at the Harris Academy in Beckenham today, Last week the government unveiled another £700million of funding to help pupils catch up.Â, The new Education Recovery Commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins, has been ordered to come up with options for longer term change.Â. More TWINS are being born than ever before due to a surge in IVF and artificial insemination. By Claire Schofield. This page looks at the school reopening plan across the UK. He said the reform options being considered by Sir Kevan 'may well need additional investment'. Until today, ministers had been adamant that the scheme, which has replaced school lunches for many disadvantaged children during partial closures, would end when schools break up in… 'We're very much not a racist family': Angry Prince William publicly hits back at Harry and Meghan's claims... Boris Johnson's sister is dragged into royal race row as CBS reporter repeats slur that her newspaper column... Bring back Piers! ', The arrangements for coronavirus testing at the Harris Academy in Beckenham today. By: N_Walayat UK lockdown is ending! Shisha bar with 36 people flouting lockdown discovered as police hand out £28k in fines Revealed: As £825m hedge fund boss Crispin Odey is cleared of 'octopus' sex assault, how his accuser lost... James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline. School summer holidays in England could be cut short in permanent move. Covid deaths in the UK have fallen to 82 - the first time the number has dropped below 100 since October. You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. And he said: 'Probably there's no education secretary that has brought in more cash for our schools and colleges ever before. Long school summer holidays are a feature of British national life: so much of our children’s literature, so many of our memories, revolve around them. Watch our explainer below on the Covid risk to pupils. George Floyd death: How will jurors be selected? He died just before Christmas in a Caerphilly nursing home - she had last held his hand 10 months earlier. ', In an apparent appeal for the PM to keep him in the post, Mr Williamson said: 'It's a job I absolutely love, because I know what an amazing difference it can make to children's lives...Â, 'I'm incredibly excited about what we've got to do over the coming months and years. Moment £45million lottery winner, 31, told police how he crashed and killed woman, 75, as he reached for... Amanda Staveley must pay £20million legal bill and Barclays £30million after she lost bitter High Court... Ex-policewoman, 64, is spared jail after hitting her cheating husband over the head with a lamp before... How Gucci's Black Widow dressed to kill: Penthouses, yachts, Ferraris... she had it all. BBC. Gavin Williamson said the government is looking at doing things in a 'different way' as it scrambles to help children catch up after the coronavirus lockdowns. Who truly was the most dishonest president? In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Dave Bartram said he tested positive on 20 January, and "for a month it has been debilitating". COVID-19: UK PM Promises 'incomparably Better' Summer; Announces Lockdown Removal By June UK Prime minister announced a 4-stage plan for the reopening of the nightclubs, sporting activities to resume, and holidays to return across the country. A bowling alley like you've never seen it before. UK & World News. Read More Related Articles. Secondary schools in England will be asked to deliver face-to-face summer schools to help some pupils catch up with lessons lost to Covid. Watch her story here. 'The Prime Minister and the whole Government have been clear about the priority that it is, and we continue to boost the funding, it's one of those departments that have been protected.'Â. Schools will split a £302 million “recovery premium” to support catch-up and secondaries will get £200 million to run summer schools programmes under plans announced by the government today. The First Minister said learning could be … But the government is providing hundreds of millions of pounds in funding to make sure it happens. The comments below have not been moderated. UK Covid: Williamson hopes children will get 'time in schools' this summer - as it happened This live blog is now closed. Pointing to the long-running calls from some experts for a five-term year to replace the current three, Mr Williamson said there had 'always been a lively and strong debate around actually is the distribution of holidays the right distribution'. Lifting lockdown - what does the road to freedom look like? He said: "It bears no relation to flu whatsoever. The tragic case of Sarah Everard has provoked an avalanche of accounts from... Riddle over 'flashing' incident: Watchdog probes Met as it emerges Sarah Everard suspect kept working as gun... Met Police 'BAN reclaim these streets march in memory of Sarah Everard and threaten to prosecute organisers... Sarah Everard's family pay emotional tribute to their 'bright and beautiful' daughter and sister - as the... JANET STREET-PORTER: The murder of Sarah Everard is horrific but it's no reason to demonise half the... Can doctors transplant a human soul? Secondary schools across England are to be given funding to help them run summer … "You just have to try and get used to it.". Amid growing rumours that he is set to be axed in the next Cabinet reshuffle, Mr Williamson painted the priority given to getting schools back from lockdown as an 'enormous victory'. Summer school for some pupils in England Secondary schools in England will be asked to deliver face-to-face summer schools to help some pupils catch up with lessons lost to Covid. A bowling alley like you've never seen it before. Summer Schools Coronavirus COVID-19 children's commissioner Anne Longfield Join our new commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, … COVID-19: Boris Johnson doesn't rule out extending school summer term to help pupils catch up. It's a descent into a land... 'It's both safe and effective': Boris Johnson backs AstraZeneca Covid vaccine after Italy, Norway and... Average council tax bill will top £2k for millions of households next year as payments are set to rise by... Armed police officer arrested over Sarah Everard's kidnap and murder is found unconscious in his cell with... Green Party peer says ALL MEN should face 6pm CURFEW: Baroness Jones calls for ban on males after dark to... How safe do YOU feel at night? Nicola Woolcock, Education Editor. Schools will reportedly be granted hundreds of millions of pounds for summer classes to help children who've fallen behind in their studies due to Covid-19 lockdown. The Education Secretary insists the scientific evidence shows it is safe for students to return to school in March 8. Alongside the face-to-face lessons for some secondary pupils, there is also funding for primary and secondary schools to boost summer clubs and activities. The suggestion of a much deeper overhaul comes days before pupils are finally due to return to classrooms in England on Monday. Need more greens in your diet but don't like the taste? The prime minister said the money would ensure "no child is left behind". Schools in England closed to most pupils in March 2020. A … Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in. Measures will include voluntary Covid testing, and mask-wearing inside classrooms. KIDS could spend the summer in school after Nicola Sturgeon suggested holiday catch-up lessons may help pupils. Wednesday March 03 2021, 12.01am GMT, The Times. VideoA bowling alley like you've never seen it before. If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. There have been warnings that it could take a decade to heal the damage done to the prospects of youngsters - with the most vulnerable suffering the worst.Â, Asked in an interview with the i newspaper whether England's current six-week summer holiday was too long, Mr Williamson said: 'I think we should never be nervous about looking at new routes and different ways of doing things.'. Ministers accuse EU of stoking fight over Northern Ireland... Queen and Prince Charles back angry Prince William after he broke family silence to blast back at Harry and... 'Perhaps they can finally set the record straight about me': Meghan Markle's biographer Omid Scobie quotes... STEPHEN GLOVER: What a grisly week this has been for our country and our culture. Our education editor Branwen Jeffreys has visited a school in Shropshire to see how pupils and teachers are preparing for the reopening on 8 March. Covid summer schools could target pupils starting secondaries or sixth form. It will be up to schools to decide which pupils get the lessons - they won't be for everyone, and the summer holidays won't be shorter. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an easy virus to kill when it is on skin. Read about our approach to external linking. Over 11 per cent of the UK’s population have received a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and the number of new infections is falling. This can be done with soap and water or hand sanitiser. Never heard of him': Leaked WhatsApps reveal Health Secretary shared a joke with the former... TOM UTLEY: My granddaughter wailed as though I was Freddy Krueger when I babysat after months of lockdown. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. SUMMER SCHOOL Pupils to be given classes during summer holidays to help them catch up with lessons missed during Covid crisis Petitions demanding outspoken presenter Morgan be reinstated on Good Morning Britain near... 'I didn't want him to quit, but I did want him to listen': Alex Beresford breaks silence on Piers Morgan's... RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: The vengeful Left is cynically using a rift in the Royal Family to launch an all-out... Trevor Phillips says Oprah should have asked Harry and 'remarkably ill-informed' Meghan about the prince's... Jacob Rees-Mogg quotes God Save The Queen in full in House of Commons as he backs the monarch in Meghan row... How the 'woke wing' of Fleet Street took over the Society of Editors and threw its boss under the bus for... JAN MOIR: I promise this column is a Meghan and Harry free zone (recollections may vary), HENRY DEEDES: It was as if an aide had to keep pumping coins into Keir Starmer just to keep him going, Boy, 12, is arrested after man, 20, was stabbed on east London street. Get a longer daily news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here. Summer lessons will be offered to children leaving primary school and all secondary pupils as part of a £700million catch-up package designed to reverse the impact of Covid on education. Gavin Williamson today hinted that summer holidays could be shortened permanently as part of a move to a five-term year. Ms Sturgeon said that we must do better than last year in control of people travelling in and out of the country. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. COVID-19: Longer school days, shorter summer holidays and five-term years all under consideration, says education secretary Changes to the school suspension and expulsion process during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 26 February 2021 Safe working and protective measures However, headteachers cautioned against a 'knee jerk' introduction of a five-term system, which could potentially mean children having just four weeks off in the summer rather than around six. Â. Mrs Parker thinks at least one family member should be able to make care home visits in Wales. Downsizing pensioner uncovers remains of a long-lost palace in back garden where he is building a bungalow -... 'I will regret leaving him for the rest of my life': Mother of 22-month-old boy who was murdered by her... Football Index enters administration and announces suspension of its gambling platform in wake of online... Kew Gardens is growing woke! Summer holidays Nicola Sturgeon today told people not to book a summer foreign holiday this year. If you are worried about how COVID-19 may affect our programme in the future, please check out our FAQs or contact us on iss@exeter.ac.uk One of the International Summer School's key features is the chance to experience the UK and meet people from all over the world. Video, A bowling alley like you've never seen it before, 'We women are pushed out of work because of childcare' Video, 'We women are pushed out of work because of childcare', The man with Covid 'super antibodies' Video, Pentagon rebukes Fox News for mocking female troops, Royals 'not a racist family', Prince William says, 'We have learned nobody is going to protect us', Twins peak with more born than ever before, Netflix considers crackdown on password sharing, 'No indication' Oxford jab linked to blood clots, Thor the lion has a vasectomy in Dutch zoo, Branwen Jeffreys has visited a school in Shropshire. He said: 'There's been discussion about five-term years.Â, 'It's right to have that discussion, look at the evidence and make an assessment as to what are the best options, about how we can really drive children's attainment in schools, especially children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, so this is why we've asked Kevan to look at all options. The Republic of Ireland will keep its highest level of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions until at least 5 April. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to make a major school announcement today (February 24). But they closed again in January, and are not due to reopen until 8 March. 'We women are pushed out of work because of childcare' Video'We women are pushed out of work because of childcare', China's parliament remakes Hong Kong in its own image. The man with Covid 'super antibodies' VideoThe man with Covid 'super antibodies', 'I went from Hollywood glamour to food donations', Why Ghana’s LGBT community is ‘under attack’, Biden eyes 4 July as ‘Independence Day’ from virus1, Pentagon rebukes Fox News for mocking female troops2, Royals 'not a racist family', Prince William says4, 'We have learned nobody is going to protect us'5, Twins peak with more born than ever before6, Netflix considers crackdown on password sharing7, 'No indication' Oxford jab linked to blood clots8, Where do Harry and Meghan get their money?9, Thor the lion has a vasectomy in Dutch zoo10. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. That doesn’t mean that summer will be normal. "There's not really much you can do," says one pupil who has already been wearing masks in class. We'll have another update for you this evening. The widely expected decision to maintain Level Five was taken at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, but primary schools will reopen on Monday for younger pupils. Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning. The former lead singer of Showaddywaddy has advised people to get a vaccination after his "brutal" experience with Covid-19. © 2021 BBC. They reopened to some year groups in the summer term, and to all pupils in September. Read about our approach to external linking. ROBERT HARDMAN: A steely, wise reply... Amen to that, Wills! Where do Harry and Meghan get their money? The Irish vaccination programme is several weeks behind the UK's and has been hampered by supply issues, and the relatively late authorisation of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the European Medicines Agency. According to the Sunday Times, the summer term could be extended by two weeks, with the lost holiday time added in the autumn and winter. News. What questions do you have about coronavirus? CLICK HERE FOR FULL CORONAVIRUS … The US president says he is boosting efforts to vaccinate Americans in his first primetime speech. e-mail ... UK's Society of Editors chief resigns after coming under fire … School summer holidays could be SLASHED in bid to help children catch up after Covid chaos SCHOOL pupils could spend their summer holidays in …