The Telegraph reports ministers are considering keeping schools closed for all of January, amid concerns that the new variant of coronavirus can spread more easily among children. By Laura Donnelly and Robert Mendick.

Dr Simon Hyde, general secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, has said the Government's current plan to introduce mass testing in schools is "not deliverable", arguing headteachers "cannot turn their schools into emergency clinics in a few working days". By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Jane Prescott, headmistress of Portsmouth High School and president of the Girls' Schools Association, spoke with Nick Ferrari on LBC this morning, where she discussed the reopening of schools and efforts to establish mass testing regimes. Listen from 01:14:05.

Schools Week reports a leaflet published by the Department for Education on Friday contained incorrect guidance on how schools should administer asymptomatic testing. By James Carr.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she "can't be absolutely certain" about the risk of coronavirus transmission in classrooms, as the percentage of children absent from Scottish schools for "COVID-19 related reasons" rises to 5.6 per cent. By Mark McLaughlin, The Times. John Swinney, the deputy first minister, had previously said schools are "safe" and should remain open to pupils this week. BBC News.

According to research from the Education Policy Institute, less than a third of all schools' COVID-related costs will be reimbursed by the Government's support fund. By Lucy Campbell, The Guardian.

Temi Akindele Barker writes in The Independent calling on independent schools to commit to becoming "more diverse, equitable and inclusive" environments.

Anne Longfield, the children's commissioner for England, has published a report recommending a series of reforms to the youth justice system, including raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 and reducing the number of children held in custody to the "absolute minimum". By Charles Hymas, The Telegraph.

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