The government has been accused of failing to keep teachers and pupils safe after a new survey reveals the major concerns that measures to mitigate Covid in schools are not working.

Just one per cent of teachers say pupils always social distance from adults in their school and the majority (56 per cent) said children rarely or never do so, according to results from the NASUWT union.

It also warned that significant numbers of teachers reported inadequate supplies of PPE and a failure to ensure classrooms are sufficiently well ventilated to reduce the risk of virus transmission. 

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And there are also concerns about how well schools are being cleaned with seven per cent of teachers reporting that they are having to clean toilets themselves.

The findings come in a survey of almost 7,000 teachers carried out by the NASUWT which have been published today.

The union’s general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “At a time when the Government has raised the Covid threat level and introduced stricter curbs designed to limit social interactions it is worrying that many schools do not appear to be implementing Covid secure working practices or reviewing their risk assessments in light of the increased threat levels.

 “The failure of Government to provide schools with additional funding is leading to schools cutting corners on safety. 

“As increased numbers of staff are forced to self-isolate, serious operational difficulties are emerging for schools in maintaining safe working practices. 

“The Government promised teachers, pupils and parents schools would be safe to return to. So far, they are failing on that promise.” 

Figures from the survey show that just four per cent of respondents said that adults always practiced social distancing in their school and only 15 per cent said that their managers always enforced it.

More than six in ten (61 per cent) teachers questioned say pupils and adults are not routinely wearing masks in communal areas of the school. 

Just over half (56 per cent) said their school had clear and adequate arrangements in place for enhanced cleaning and 45 per cent said cleaning arrangements in their school rely on staff not employed as cleaners.

The poll also reveals seven per cent of teachers said they were expected to clean toilet themselves

Nearly a third (32 per cent) of teachers said groups of pupils had been sent home from their school since the start of the new academic year because of positive or suspected cases of Covid within the school. 

And 69 per cent had pupils in their school who have displayed Covid symptoms and half knew of staff who had symptoms. 

A DfE spokesperson said: “Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked tremendously hard to put protective measures in place that are helping reduce the risk of the virus being transmitted.

“These measures include pupils remaining in consistent groups to minimise their direct contacts with others, staggered break times, and teachers being advised to maintain social distancing between themselves and their pupils wherever possible.”