Covid absences in schools in England triple in two weeks

Data shows 202,000 pupils off sick on 17 March, raising fears of classroom disruptions before summer exams

The number of children in state schools in England who were absent last week because of Covid has more than tripled in a fortnight, confirming headteachers' warnings of growing disruption in classrooms as pupils prepare for summer exams.

Figures published by the Department for Education (DfE) on Tuesday showed 202,000 pupils were off school on 17 March because of the virus - a dramatic jump from 58,000 two weeks earlier when attendance was described as returning to something approaching normal".