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A maze of eligibility criteria: Anger at Covid workforce fund limitations

Support staff Legislation and guidance School finance Government policy Whole-school issues Teaching staff Attendance Coronavirus
After having battled with Covid-related staff absence for much of the term, schools have been hit by the news that the newly re-opened workforce fund will only cover a short period before Christmas.

Furthermore, school leaders have slammed the fact that this funding will once again be dependent on “a maze of eligibility criteria”.

The Covid Workforce Fund is once again offering financial support to schools struggling with the cost of supply and cover during the pandemic (DfE, 2021a).

However, the Department for Education (DfE) has decreed that the fund will only cover the period from November 22 until the end of term, despite schools having struggled with staff absence for much of the autumn term.

The latest attendance figures (DfE, 2021b) show that two per cent of all teachers and school leaders in England were off for Covid-related reasons on November 25. This is up from 1.4 per cent on November 11.

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