Damning statement from joint general secretary of the NEU Kevin Courtney, confirming the union will advise members to refuse face to face teaching on health and safety grounds, calls Gov reckless and indecisive:

Unions making a compelling argument on how decisions about school closures are being made too, that Gov is "behind the curve" and makes decisions when things are already out of control.

I asked DfE about this. A source said no new data had been studied ahead of decision to close extra primary schools, instead ministers had listened to the arguments made by London boroughs arguing for their schools to be closed.

Which sounds sensible - it's so important to listen to those on the ground. BUT if your decisions are led by data it leaves you open to big questions when things change without anything additional stats being studied. And fuels concerns about postcode lottery etc.

Clearly there is a tension, it's been present throughout pandemic, over the harm done to pupils kept out of schools vs the public health harm of virus spread when kids are allowed to go in. There are no EASY answers. But if you're following data there are answers, even if tough.

On that, here is the SAGE advice from 22 December, published NYE. On schools pars 11 and 12 are useful reference points: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948606/s0991-sage-meeting-74-covid-19.pdf

Oh, and those asking about Labour's position - Anneliese Dodds told Sky the Government should follow the science but stopped short of calling for all schools to be closed until mid-Jan. Might that change later on?