Thread by @tes

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is due to face MPs shortly for the @CommonsEd hearing on the impact of Covid-19 on education and children’s services. There is so much to go at. Follow this thread for @tes updates

The committee chairman @halfon4harlowMP asks @GavinWilliamson about the controversy over school food boxes. Mr Williamson says he was disgusted at the images of food parcels. He said its been made clear to the sector that this will not be tolerated. #edselctte

@GavinWilliamson says a national voucher scheme with Edenred will be available from next week but schools will have the option of locally procured vouchers #edselctte

Now the @CommonsEd chair @halfon4harlowMP asks whether the investment in testing for Covid in schools would be better placed invested in vaccinating in schools to get them back open #edselctte

and @halfon4harlowMP asks "why not make teachers and school support staff a priority?" @GavinWilliamson says there is a school workforce of a million and its vital that we don't over look support staff who are "often most exposed" #edselctte

Education secretary @GavinWilliamson says in the next wave of vaccines he sees all those who work in schools as a top priority. #edselctte

The education secretary tells MPs on the @CommonsEd there are more children with social workers in school during this lockdown compared to the first one last year. #edselctte

DfE's permanent secretary @SusanAclandHood tells the committee that AP settings can open for all their children but also have flexibility to work with parents on managing patterns of attendance . #edselctte

Now @GavinWilliamson is asked why the DfE moved away from the four tier rota system for schools managing Covid in schools. Mr Williamson said it was felt that moving to a contingency framework was a better way of doing it and best met schools need. #edselctte.

Mr Williamson is also asked about the legal direction his dept gave to Greenwich Council last month to keep schools open given where we are now? #edselctte

Mr Williamson said there had been no conversation with Greenwich before hand. Usually councils flag up concerns but this time DfE found out through council announcement that schools would move online.#edselctte

and Mr Williamson says that at this stage "none of us were aware of the new variant" and the impact this would have in case rates. (This was in the last week of last term) #edselctte

Now @GavinWilliamson is asked about the timing of the announcement on the mass Covid testing plan for schools which came at the very end of last term. #edselctte

On mass testing, Mr Willliamson said he recognised that this was not the time that schools wanted to get that type of info but said it felt the right thing to do because by that stage the Health Secretary had made an announcement about the emergence of the new variant. #edselctte

Mr Williamson says Covid testing of staff will be extended to primary school staff next week and that he wants it extended to all pupils. #edselctte

Mr Williamson said there will be a £78m support package for schools to support them on the roll out of Covid testing. #edselctte

and the DfE's permanent secretary @SusanAclandHood says it is working on plans to allow for primary school pupils to be tested at home. #edselctte

Mr Williamson is asked about the high demand for school places during the lockdown in some areas by @IanMearnsMP . The education secretary says he wants to work with schools in this situation but doesn't really say how. #edselctte

Gavin Williamson admits data showing 14% of pupils were in school last week was a “snapshot” after being challenged by @IanMearnsMP who said more children were engaging even if only on a rota basis

Gavin Williamson says #covid pandemic has led to “incredibly positive “ number of people wanting to become teachers as people see ‘the amazing job’ teachers are doing #edselctte

Concerns raised that parts of NTP may be "put on ice" during lockdown. Williamson says schools have the option as to whether they want to pause or continue provision. He says it's best to leave to heads who know local circumstances. #edselctte

@SusanAclandHood Full story on that here: tes.com/news/primary-s…

On exams, Williamson says teacher judgement is "what we're relying on", not algorithms. But he is working with the sector to make sure there is proper and fair checks and balances, he says. #edselctte

.@GavinWilliamson is asked whether he will apologise to @NEUnion and school leaders for not heeding advice on school closures, and for repeated last minute communications "causing undue stress and pressure". No apology given. #edselctte

Gavin Williamson asked how he can regain trust of teachers after poll showed 92% had lost faith in his leadership? #edselctte

He says he and DfE want to do “everything we can“ and that “some of the decisions we’ve had to make are those I wouldn’t wish on you or anyone else” #edselctte

#edselctte ends with @halfon4harlowMP asking DfE’s permanent secretary what checks are in place to ensure guidance is correct before it’s issued , and gives examples including wrong guidance being issued for key worker children places

Susan Acland-Hood admits that getting guidance wrong “adds to the pressure for everyone” but says there’s a “tripple lock processs across Whitehall” which guidance passes through before its released. She says DfE tries not issue guidance late at night #edselctte