NAHT has been at the forefront of discussions with the DfE and government Ministers during the pandemic.

Our meeting with scientists on Friday was our first chance to hear directly about the medical and scientific evidence that has informed the government’s decision making up to this point. The meeting was productive but relatively short. As a result there remains a number of questions that we still need government to answer. I made the point that we understand that it will be hard to achieve absolute certainty when the scientific evidence is still emerging, but that we still do not have a clear picture of precisely which evidence the government is drawing on. We don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for clarity on this.

On Monday 18th May, I invited the government to write to me and clearly outline the evidence they have used to inform their decision making. Without greater transparency around this the government will continue to fail to build the confidence of either the sector or of parents and carers. I sincerely hope that they accept this invitation.

This will be a member only event and it will be an opportunity for me to update you on the developments from the last week or so and to  answer questions live.

Exclusive NAHT members only briefing with Paul Whiteman