Read on Twitter
How we got here, a thread (1/25)
Before Christmas, owing to rising infection rates, Greenwich advised their schools to shut before the end of term – several councils later advised the same. (2/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-council-asks-schools-close-remote-teaching-online-week
. @educationgovuk threatened these schools with legal action if they did, resulting in schools re-opening their doors for the last few days of term. (3/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-council-backs-school-closures-despite-dfe-legal-threats
The General Secretary of the ASCL, @RealGeoffBarton, accused the @educationgovuk of using "bully boy tactics" to stick to a "robotic mantra to keep schools open whatever the cost" but added "the costs could be incredibly high." (4/25) https://www.tes.com/news/there-will-be-reckoning-dfes-bully-boy-tactics
During this time, @KevinStannard1 warned that we could be heading for another exams U-turn (*spoiler alert*: he was correct). (5/25) https://www.tes.com/news/gcse-a-level-coronavirus-covid-we-should-prepare-ourselves-exams-2021-u-turn
On 16 December, our reporters @tweetsbyames and @JohnGRoberts started to hear that there could be a delayed return in Janurary. (6/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-covid-schools-exclusive-dfe-considering-delay-start-next-term
There was also a whole outcry and U-turn around having school staff carry out Covid tests around the same time… (7/25) https://www.tes.com/news/covid-turning-schools-field-hospitals-may-be-too-much
Schools were being put in an impossible position over lack of clarity about how and when the spring term would start, public accounts committee chair @Meg_HillierMP told top @educationgovuk official. (8/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-dfe-told-lack-clarity-new-term-ludicrous
Revealed in a scoop by us that most secondary school pupils would be learning online in the first week back next year. Only exam groups back in person. This is the same week @educationgovuk took legal action to stop some London schools moving online(9/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-most-secondary-year-groups-start-next-term-online
In order to get the @educationgovuk testing in place for January, @MattHancock wanted headteachers to work over Christmas to make sure it was ready. (10/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-covid-absolutely-fine-heads-work-christmas-matt-hancock
The new variant of the virus was uncovered, which turned out to be more infectious – and experts warned it might lead to more cases among schoolchildren. (11/25) https://www.tes.com/news/new-covid-variant-may-infect-pupils-more-effectively
During this period (WE ARE NOT EVEN AT CHRISTMAS YET) @GavinWilliamson and the government claimed that schools didn’t drive up the number of Covid infections. (12/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-gavin-williamson-probed-schools-dont-drive-covid-claim
A crunch meeting between the prime minister and the DfE on 23 December about reopening schools was postponed until after Christmas. (13/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-school-opening-exclusive-schools-decision-expected-after-christmas
The government also accidentally banned the education of children around this time as well… (14/25) https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-covid-government-accidentally-bans-schooling-children
In an exclusive from us, we revealed the government’s plans of school reopening after mounting pressure for a delayed start owing to Covid infection rates rising countrywide. (15/25) https://www.tes.com/news/exclusive-new-school-opening-delay-agreed-ministers
. @gavinwilliamson gave a speech to the Commons confirming everything we had reported on schools reopening. (16/25) https://www.tes.com/news/full-new-delayed-january-school-opening-dates
Some primary schools were to remain shut, raising questions over why some councils were chosen above others (17/25) https://www.tes.com/news/revealed-covid-hotspots-where-primaries-will-stay-shut
'Schools are safe,' insists @BorisJohnson. 
(18/25) https://www.tes.com/news/schools-are-safe-says-prime-minister
(18/25) https://www.tes.com/news/schools-are-safe-says-prime-minister
On New Year’s Eve, education secretary @GavinWilliamson said he is "absolutely confident" that there will be no further delay to school return plans in January (19/25) https://www.tes.com/news/williamson-confident-no-further-delay-reopening
School leaders started to demand @educationgovuk’s reasoning around certain primaries being closed and not others (20/25) https://www.tes.com/news/covid-call-data-astonishing-primary-closure-decision
U-turn incoming! This raised questions about why all primary schools in London were closed but some in other Tier 4 areas across England were still scheduled to open (21/25) https://www.tes.com/news/school-closures-u-turn-no-london-primaries-open
The government insists the U-turn wasn’t about safety concerns… (22/25) https://www.tes.com/news/london-u-turn-not-about-school-safety-concerns-says-dfe
The unions then got involved, forming an alliance to protest @gavinwilliamson’s plan @NEUnion @NASUWT @NAHTnews @unisontheunion @GMB_union & @unitetheunion (23/25) https://www.tes.com/news/teachers-heads-and-tas-unite-school-closures-demand
This all leads to last night’s announcement. @BorisJohnson announced – at the end of a day when thousands had returned to school – that schools should close their buildings for all but vulnerable children and children of key workers (24/25) https://www.tes.com/news/all-schools-moving-online-until-half-term-says-johnson
There is likely a lot more coming in the next few days, so keep an eye out on our profile @tes and our website (25/25)
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