Less than half of eligible primary pupils have returned to school for the final stretch of term, new statistics show.
But the proportion of children in priority year groups attending open schools has continued to rise, according to Department for Education data published today, covering a period two weeks before the end of term for most schools.
The DfE estimates that just under half (49 per cent) of Year 6 pupils attended open schools on Thursday 2 June - up from 45 per cent the previous week.
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The proportion of Year 1 pupils in open schools also rose from 37 per cent to 41 per cent in the same time frame.
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And there was a similar increase among Reception pupils - from 40 per cent on 25 June to 44 per cent on 2 July.
Meanwhile, the proportion of schools open to at least one of the priority primary year groups decreased very slightly - from 89 per cent to 88 per cent.
In secondary schools, approximately 16 per cent of Year 10 and 15 per cent of Year 12 students were in attendance on 2 July, excluding students in FE colleges and special post-16 institutions - the same as on 25 June.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “The very best place for children to be is in the classroom, which is why we have set out our plans for all young people to return to education full-time from September.
“I know how challenging the last three months have been for teachers, school leaders and support staff, including adapting to welcome more children back into the classroom. Last week, almost 1.6 million pupils were back at schools and colleges, which is a testament to their outstanding work.
“I want to reassure parents and families that we are doing everything we can to make sure schools are as safe as possible for children and staff, and will continue to work closely with the country’s best scientific and medical experts to ensure that is the case.”
