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North East school leaders share challenges with region’s MPs

As part of ongoing work to lobby policymakers on the key issues that North East schools are facing as a result of Covid-19, Schools North East has organised a series of virtual ‘MP roundtables’. The roundtables have allowed school leaders in the region to share their concerns and the situations they have been facing with MPs in their constituencies in dedicated virtual sessions. These have been running  throughout December 2020 and January 2021 and will continue throughout this academic year, with the purpose of amplifying the voice of school leaders, and aiming for MPs to bring the nuanced of these issues to the House of Commons, helping to influence ministers and DfE decision making, as well as encouraging a closer dialogue between MPs, school leaders and policymakers. 

Over the course of these sessions, 130 Head Teachers and MAT CEOs have attended, representing 276 North East schools.

MPs that have attended to date are:

Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South)

Matt Vickers (Stockton South)

Alex Cunningham (Stockton North)

Guy Opperman (Hexham)

Peter Gibson (Darlington)

Dehenna Davison (Bishop Auckland)

Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central)

Mary Glindon (North Tyneside)

Simon Clarke (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)

Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West)

Paul Howell (Sedgefield)

Richard Holden (North West Durham)

The main areas of concern raised were:

  • Staff wellbeing
  • Covid costs and the impact on school budgets
  • Assessment and accountability
  • Test and trace
  • Government guidance
  • ‘Catch-up’ from the educational impacts of covid.

Although schools have faced significant challenges, school leaders also reported many positives, such as learning new skills around remote learning, stronger relationships with local communities, and the tremendous support they have received from parents.

These roundtables have resulted in a number of follow-up actions from MPs. Alex Cunningham and Dehenna Davison have both asked questions in the House of Commons, representing our school leaders, while Julie Elliot, Alex Cunningham and Richard Holden have written to ministers including Gavin Williamson and Nick Gibb.  Simon Clarke passed a summary on to the DfE and Mary Glindon committed to arranging a meeting between the Secretary of State for Education and North East school leaders. These follow up actions from MPs have also seen coverage in regional and national media.

Our roundtables will continue this year with more confirmed including: 

Newcastle upon Tyne North -Catherine McKinnell MP

Blyth Valley – Ian Levy MP

Stockton South – Matt Vickers MP

Stockton North – Alex Cunningham MP

Houghton and Sunderland South – Bridget Phillipson MP

We are looking forward to engaging more MPs and those who have already joined us before, and generating an ongoing discussion between MPs and school leaders. If you would like to be involved please contact us.

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