School leaders have urged Ofsted not to return to full inspections in January after warnings that the coronavirus problems and restrictions will last for six months.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) general secretary Geoff Barton said that given the “dire health warnings” from the government’s top science and medical officers, the idea of the watchdog starting inspections again at the start of 2021 was looking “increasingly shaky”.

And he told Tes that Ofsted inspectors going from school to school at time when there were concerns about the spread of the virus “did not seem like a great idea”.

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Ofsted said today that it is still set to return to full inspection in January but that this date is being kept under review.

Mr Barton has spoken out after a national government press conference yesterday in which Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer and Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, warned that the virus was now doubling around every seven days.

They said that if this rate went unchecked, it could result in 49,000 new cases a day by the middle of October and 200 deaths a day by November.

And today, prime minister Boris Johnson has announced new restrictions and warned that daily deaths from Covid-19 will increase unless action is taken.

He told MPs that “once again, we are asking office workers who can work from home to do so” and said these restrictions could last for six months. But he also said that this was not a return to full lockdown and that the government will ensure schools stay open.

Mr Barton said: “Given the dire health warnings over the rate of coronavirus transmission and the prospects for the weeks and months ahead, the idea of Ofsted resuming routine inspections in January looks increasingly shaky.

“The inspectorate has said that it will keep this date under review and we do think it will now need to take stock over whether January is realistic.”

Ofsted is planning to carry out visits to schools this term, which are not inspections and will not result in any graded judgements, to check on how pupils are managing the return to full-time education.

It is currently scheduled to return to routine inspection of schools in January next year.

Mr Barton added: “There are two problems with resuming full inspections in the current climate.

“The first is that there is a great deal of turbulence in schools with teachers and groups of pupils having to self-isolate, and it is questionable whether a normal inspection is reasonable in these circumstances.

“The second is over the wider public health situation and the need to limit the risk of transmission of the infection. Having inspectors going in and out of schools doesn’t seem like the greatest idea.”

“Our view is that the number-one priority has to be to keep schools open, and allow them to focus on the task at hand. So, we have to question whether the resumption of routine Ofsted inspections in January is really the most important thing at the moment. Our feeling is that they should probably be postponed to a later date when circumstances improve.”