@BorisJohnson has just said he is ‘very grateful’ to teachers and schools. He is not grateful enough, however, to put in place the essential requirements to keep schools safe and the R rate down. That is why @NEUnion is demanding schools are included in the lockdown.

Virus levels are now 9 times higher amongst primary pupils and an astonishing 50 times higher amongst secondary pupils who can transmit the virus as adults do.

The government cannot pretend, any longer, that older children do not transmit the virus. A lockdown will not work to suppress the R rate if teenagers are mixing in bubbles of 180 and on the way to and from school.

We need a circuit breaker in schools and the time used to prepare for rota working for secondary schools - reducing pressure on the school site and enabling social distancing.

Clinically extremely vulnerable and clinically vulnerable staff must now be allowed to work from home.

@GavinWilliamson and @NickGibbUK must now concede that a 3 week delay for GCSE and A levels is simply inadequate. A plan B is needed and ministers must adopt the joint proposals from @NEUnion @ASCL_UK @NAHTnews @NASUWT and @NGAMedia