Almost one in 10 heads (9%) ___26___ took part in the survey said more than 20% of their teaching staff were absent on the first day of term for Covid-related reasons.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 26 to 30

Almost one in 10 heads (9%) ___26___ took part in the survey said more than 20% of their teaching staff were absent on the first day of term for Covid-related reasons. The staffing situation is already so critical in some schools that 4% of heads have had to send classes or year groups home for online learning, ___27____ almost 7% have combined classes or year groups in response to teacher absence. Half of school leaders said they were already ___28___ on supply teachers to cover classes, and more than a third (37%) were unable to source the supply staff they need, even via agencies – almost certainly because of high demand. Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the results of the poll ___29___ a worrying picture of the situation. The findings are based on nearly 2,000 headteachers’ experiences on the first day of term this week. ___30___ people who took part were primary school leaders (76%), 5% were from secondary schools and the rest were made up of nursery, infant, allthrough and middle schools.

(Adapted from https://www.theguardian.com)

(26) _________

• A. who
• B. which
• C. whose
• D. whom