Lack of information on key issues causes enormous concern for North East school leaders

Lack of information on key issues causes enormous concern for North East school leaders

Government ambiguity around key issues such as the return of schools in September, proposed summer ‘catch up’ provision and opening, assessment and inspection mean that school leaders are finding it impossible to plan for the remainder of this and next academic year. 

School leaders from across the region have voiced significant concerns that they have not received any worthwhile advice on crucial issues which they need to begin planning for. While schools are facing many critical issues due to the ongoing situation, a number require immediate guidance and clarity from the Government for Head Teachers and CEOs to be able to plan for their schools and Trusts. 

Though there is currently a massive focus on summer opening, with the Prime Minister promising a ‘plan’ next week, the more urgent priority is for the Government to clarify plans for September, and to allow school leaders time to plan for this. This lack of clarity is causing further undue stress to school leaders who are already suffering from burnout after 12 weeks of responding as a ‘fourth emergency service’ during this crisis. 

Return in September?

Speaking earlier this week Boris Johnson reiterated his intention for all students to return in September.  However, the Prime Minister made a substantial u-turn on the Government’s stated aim that all primary students return before summer.  In light of the struggle primary schools have faced to extend opening from 1 June, it was becoming increasingly difficult to imagine what this could look like. 

Given how much has changed in the past two and a half months, much more could change in the next two and a half, whether that’s a second wave of Covid – 19 and possible return to full lockdown or whether the situation has improved enough to allow for a full return as normal. Many of the measures that prevent a full return to school are rumoured to be being scaled back quite rapidly and may no longer apply by September; but to add to the confusion senior Government figures have repeatedly warned that we will have to live with social distancing for the foreseeable future, making a full return on a full time basis very difficult. Indeed, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, has intimated that secondary schools may not re-open to all students until midway through the Autumn term.  This places school leaders in an impossible position if the Government waits until mid August to clarify these issues as the planning time left for schools will not be enough; and the more resources and capacity absorbed by summer ‘catch up’ opening, the harder planning adequately for September will be.

While all of these issues make it difficult for the DfE to offer precise guidance at this stage, school leaders need clarity on the government’s aims and possible ways to do this safely so they can begin to plan for September. For example, options around rota systems, part-time student attendance, and staffing if social distancing is still required, and what ‘catch up’ curriculums could be expected to look like amongst other issues. 

Summer Opening 

While September is a huge priority, the looming prospect of schools being open over the summer is also an increasingly urgent issue given that we are five weeks away from the end of term. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister indicated that a ‘massive catch up operation’ would be announced by Gavin Willaimson next week, and suggested “a huge amount of catch up for pupils over the summer”. Alongside calls from Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, and the former HMCI Sir Michael Wilshaw, this has caused speculation around a summer opening. However, following the Prime Minister’s suggestions on Wednesday, a spokesman announced on Thursday that schools would not remain open for children of key workers over the summer, causing further confusion for Head Teachers and CEOs. 

Schools North East’s poll last week of school leaders across the region definitively showed that the large majority are against summer opening.  Some academic research also indicates that there may be limited benefit to summer opening with an academic focus. Many of the region’s schools already provide summer schemes with a focus on care and wellbeing of students, providing them with safe places to play and engage in activities over the summer, as well as to access adequate nutrition. 

The Department for Education needs to urgently clarify its intentions regarding the summer as soon as possible to allow schools to plan for any opening. Schools North East hopes that any opening is flexible and school-led to allow schools to choose what is appropriate for their setting, pupils, and staff. It is also important that this ‘catch up’ is not simply a reaction to the learning loss caused by coronavirus, but part of a considered, long term approach to address the summer learning loss which widens the disadvantage gap every year. 

North East MAT CEO Brendan Tapping said ‘a “Summer School catch up” will not be sufficient to address these issues. We do however have an opportunity to have a re-think as to how we are going to address the complex problems which prevent many of  our children becoming the “best version of themselves that they can be” in this country.’

Another key element regarding  summer opening is staff mental health and wellbeing – our school staff have been working tirelessly as the ‘fourth emergency service’ during this crisis, including during the Easter and Half Term ‘holidays’. If they continue to work throughout the summer there will be very real risk of burnout and staff sickness that could significantly affect staffing levels in the Autumn. Given that many contracts are term-time only, any DfE guidance must also highlight how schools are to staff any summer opening. 

Assessment

Last week Schools North East called on Ofqual, Robert Halfon, Chair of the Education Select Committee and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to engage in discussions with North East schools to clarify what adjustments there will be, or need  to be, to exams next year. This is incredibly important now in order to help schools appropriately plan with the limited contact time they will have with year 10 and 12 students from Monday. Concerns are growing that lost time will prevent schools from being able to cover all curriculum material and that this must be reflected in assessment next year to prevent even further disadvantaging those children that were unable to access effective on-line learning over the lockdown period.

The Education Select Committee took evidence on Wednesday from Ofqual’s Chief Regulator Sally Collier on the cancellation of exams, and what examinations will look like next year. Robert Halfon asked if there were contingency plans to delay or cancel exams in 2021. Sally Collier responded that consultation will begin in the coming weeks, and that ideally they will reach a decision before the summer break. For many of the region’s school leaders this will not be soon enough and will waste up to 5 weeks of vital planning time, further increasing the burden on senior leaders during the summer break.

Inspection

The resumption of school inspections and the focus of these is also an increasing concern for many North East school leaders; especially given that many schools have had almost half of this academic year disrupted by the current crisis. Yesterday, Amanda Spielman asked the Government to outline expectations for online learning, triggering concerns about how schools might be judged in the wake of this crisis. 

For many schools in disadvantaged areas, the focus of schools has moved from teaching and learning, to very basic welfare and food provision for families who are facing increased hardship due to job loss or furlough. Equally, on any return to school, it is likely that academic curriculum will be modified as schools deal with a proliferation of mental health issues linked to the crisis, from increased stress and anxiety and broken routines which will lead to behavioural issues, through to more serious concerns such as increases in bereavement and trauma.

Even more urgent questions are: should schools be inspected at all on the basis of their online learning when safeguarding and wellbeing have been such a key focus?  What expertise does Ofsted now possess to judge schools in such unique and unprecedented circumstances?  And, bearing in mind the significant impact each school’s context has had on its online provision – pupil access to IT equipment, parental skills, access to broadband, workspace at home – how is Ofsted now able to judge those schools in any meaningful fashion?

Schools North East will continue to call on the Government to answer these questions from our school leaders and will continue to press for the clarity and support schools need in order to best serve their staff and students during this difficult time.