The number of teachers testing positive for Covid has more than doubled this term, new figures show.

The latest figures from the Department for Education show that 1.3 per cent of teachers tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

This is up slightly on two weeks earlier, but more than twice the rate in the middle of September, when 0.6 per cent of school leaders and teachers had a confirmed case of Covid.

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Schools also face a similar situation with support staff, where cases have risen from 0.6 per cent in the middle of September to 1.1 per cent, according to today’s data.

School leaders have warned that the situation is disrupting education as schools face a shortage of suitable supply cover to deliver lessons.

Covid: Schools facing a shortage of supply teachers

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The rise in staff absence may appear fractional but the reality is that it is now causing real headaches, with staffing problems further disrupting education. 

“This is happening despite staff being vaccinated, with the issue exacerbated by an acute shortage of suitably qualified supply staff.”

The Department for Education is now publishing fortnightly updates showing how the pandemic is impacting on school attendance levels

It has so far published three sets of figures.

Two weeks ago there was a marked increase in Covid rates in schools. Today the data indicates this growth has slowed down but cases are nonetheless still increasing.

The latest figures for 14 October show around 1.8 per cent of teachers and school leaders were absent from school because of Covid - compared with 1.7 per cent two weeks earlier,

This includes 1.3 per cent of teaching staff who tested positive for the virus and 0.4 per cent who were absent because of a suspected case of the virus.

Another 0.1 per cent of teachers and heads were required to isolate by NHS Test and Trace because they were in contact with a confirmed Covid case in school.

The figures published today show that the number of pupils with Covid increased slightly on two weeks ago and is at a record high. 

There are now 111,000 pupils off after testing positive for the virus - up from 102,000 two weeks earlier.

The number of pupils with a suspected case has dropped slightly from 84,000 two weeks ago to 81,000 in the latest figures.

Cases also rising among support staff

The data also sets out the increasing coronavirus levels among school support staff.

The DfE estimates that 1.6 per cent of teaching assistants and other staff were absent from open schools because of Covid-related reasons on 14 October - up from 1.5 per cent on 30 September.

This includes: 

•  0.4 per cent of teaching assistants and other staff absent from open schools with a suspected case of the coronavirus on 14 October,  which is the same as on 30 September.
• 1.1 per cent of teaching assistants and other staff absent from open schools with a confirmed case of the coronavirus on 14 October - up from 0.9 per cent on 30 September.