Headteachers have warned that Covid is causing “educational havoc” this term with 95 per cent of school leaders saying that teaching and learning has been affected by staff and pupil absence caused by the virus.

Nearly one-third of headteachers who took part in a survey for the Association of School and College Leaders warned that the impact has been severe.

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The school leaders’ union also warns that more than four in 10 schools are not scheduled to have vaccinations take place before the target date of the October half-term break.

And almost 20 schools have seen anti-vaccine protesters come into school grounds to protest, while a similar number have had communications making threats of physical harm to staff.

In the union’s survey of 567 headteachers and principals of schools and colleges in England, 95 per cent (537) said teaching and learning had been impacted by Covid-related pupil and staff absence during the autumn term so far, with 31 per cent (173) saying the impact was severe.

Covid-related pupil absence is currently running at above 10 per cent in 93 of those schools, and staff absence at above 10 per cent in 63 of those schools.

Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of respondents said it was more difficult than normal to hire supply staff to cover for staff absence.

And 23 per cent said that rates charged by agencies to hire supply staff were higher than normal.

Concerns over the Covid vaccine rollout in schools

Of the 526 responses from schools eligible for the Covid vaccination programme for 12- to 15-year-olds:

• Vaccinations have taken place in just over a third so far (34 per cent).
• 25 per cent said the scheduled date for Covid vaccinations had been delayed for all or some students beyond the date they had been given by the School Age Immunisation Service.
• 42 per cent of respondents reported that vaccinations were not scheduled to take place in their school before the target date of the October half-term break.

Meanwhile, most schools have been targeted by anti-vaccination campaigners, mainly in the form of emails threatening legal action (79 per cent).

Some 13 per cent reported seeing protesters immediately outside their school premises, and 20 per cent reported protesters in the local area.

Eighteen schools said protesters had gained access and protested inside the school premises, and 20 said they had received communications threatening physical harm to staff.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Life is most definitely not back to normal in our schools and colleges.

“The impact of coronavirus is an everyday reality which continues to cause havoc to the education of children and young people and places leaders and their staff under enormous pressure.

“It is extremely frustrating that the vaccination programme, which offers some hope of salvation, is apparently beset with delays and is running behind schedule.

“We don’t blame healthcare teams for this as we are sure they are working flat out.

“However, it is incredibly remiss of the government not to have ensured that there was sufficient capacity in place to deliver this vital programme at the scale and speed required, and we urge ministers to get a grip of the situation and put the resources in place.

“The government must also redouble its efforts to encourage regular home testing among eligible pupils and invest in high-quality ventilation systems.”

Mr Barton added: “The high level of ongoing disruption again emphasises the pressing need for the Chancellor to vastly improve funding for education recovery in his forthcoming Budget.

“School budgets are also taking a hammering because of the cost of hiring supply staff to cover for absence and the government must provide additional funding to help with these costs.”

The ASCL survey comes as data shows an increase in the number of school pupils with Covid.

Department for Education figures showed that at the end of last month more than 200,000 pupils were off school for Covid-0related reasons, compared with just over 120,000 in the middle of September - a 67 per cent increase in two weeks.

And separate data showed that one in 15 secondary school students had tested positive for the virus.