The reopening of secondary schools is reported to be delayed in parts of England, with headteachers calling for pupils to be tested for COVID-19 on site.
The Department of Education has confirmed that upon the start of the new academic year next month, schools in England will be allowed to stagger their start dates so pupils can be tested twice, according to The Sunday Times.
The paper reported yesterday that parents have been told lessons in many secondary schools across the country are not expected to fully start until the second week of term.
Education unions have thus been warning that the start of the new academic year will “almost certainly” prompt a rise in COVID cases.
These claims come after the UK government confirmed that carbon dioxide monitors are to be provided to state-funded schools in England to help staff tackle poor ventilation and reduce the spread of the virus.
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“The new school year and college terms will almost certainly prompt an uptick in case counts nationally,” said Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union.
“Current levels already match where we were in December 2020 [and so] to counter a significant rise in the R-rate heading back over one, school and college leaders will be looking to see what they can do to ensure on-site learning is safe and sustainable throughout the autumn term.”
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Schools in England will be allowed to stagger their start dates so pupils can be tested twice / Credit: Flickr
Geoff Barton – General Secretary of the ASCL union – also told The Sunday Times: “If you have nine million going back to school, having been mixing through the summer, you can see the need to test them on site.”
It was confirmed in July by the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson that schools could remove measures including bubbles and face masks when they return in September, but The I reports that a recent survey of more than 1,200 senior teaching staff found that many schools are still planning preventative measures.
Nearly one in five schools are reportedly planning to stagger the start or end of the school year throughout the coming term.
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Steve Chalke – Chief Executive of Oasis – said: “Headteachers have called for months for a way of opening schools and keeping them open to avoid a third year of academic disruption to children.”
It's important to continue testing and report children's test results – even if negative or void.https://t.co/zKQ4uC5WGh
— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) August 22, 2021
Despite the reports that staggered start times will be introduced, and the first school week could be delayed, Department for Education (DfE) insiders have denied that kids will lose out with more chaos when they return next term.
They said schools can reopen the week before term starts to begin testing.
And a DfE spokesperson added: “Settings may commence testing three working days before the start of term and can stagger the return of pupils across the first week.”
Featured Image – David L. Ryan / Getty
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‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
The Manc -
23rd August 2021 
