"Schools in England are struggling to stay open in the face of increasing Covid infection rates among pupils, with many using preventive measures abandoned by the government in an attempt to keep their pupils in classrooms."

“This is due to the high and rising numbers of positive PCR tests that mean we can no longer deliver ‘in person’ teaching to an appropriate quality because of staffing constraints and the proportion of students not in school,” David Bennett, the school’s executive head, told parents.