The majority of headteachers felt unable to trust government guidance during the Covid pandemic, a new survey has found, the TES reports.
A total of 65 per cent of respondents to the survey carried out with the NAHT and ASCL unions said they were not able to trust the DfE guidance.
Meanwhile, nine out of 10 school leaders disagreed that the DfE’s advice and guidance during the pandemic had been timely and straightforward.
The survey also highlighted the impact on school leaders themselves, revealing that nearly 42 per cent said the descriptor “mostly surviving” best matched their experience of leading a school during the pandemic.
About one in three of the 1,491 respondents chose mostly or sometimes “thriving”, but more than a fifth said they were mostly or sometimes “sinking”.
NAHT deputy general secretary Nick Brook said: “This is a shameful review of the government’s support for schools during the worst crisis they have experienced.”
“It is very clear that the government has been the main source of stress for school leaders during the pandemic.
“Obviously, uncertainty and frequent changes couldn’t be entirely avoided during such an unprecedented situation, but the lack of timely and straightforward advice from the Department for Education tops the list of reasons for school leaders’ stress.”