Challenges facing school leaders over phased return to school - NFER findings

From the NFER by Caroline Sharp, David Sims, Simon Rutt

On 10th May the Prime Minister announced a phased return of some children to school In England from 1st June. Schools have been closed to all but vulnerable and keyworker children since 20th March, meaning that most children have been educated at home for a period of ten weeks, and some year groups are not expected to return to school until the autumn.

Nevertheless, opening their schools to selected year groups (Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and 6 in primary schools and Year 10 and 12 pupils in secondary schools) as well as continuing on-site provision for vulnerable and keyworker children and providing distance learning for others is a considerable challenge for school leaders. In this report we set out our initial findings on how prepared school leaders are for opening more fully, what challenges they face and what guidance and support they need.

This report is based on findings from a national survey of 1,233 senior leaders in publicly-funded, mainstream primary and secondary schools in England. Responses between 7th and 17th May have been weighted by phase and free school meal (FSM) eligibility to provide a nationally representative picture. Note that because senior leaders were answering  questions over a ten-day period, some responses pre-date the Prime Minister’s announcement on the 10th May and the publication of DfE guidance from the 12th to the 25th May
(DfE,2020a-f).

Key Findings

School leaders have fewer teaching staff available at a time when they need more:In May, school leaders were operating with 75 per cent of their normal teaching capacity. Over a fifth (29 per cent) of teachers who are available to work are only able to work at home. Senior leaders explained that they will need extra staff to teach and supervise pupils while on site, provide distance learning for pupils at home and/or cover for absent staff, plus additional funding to pay for this. This will affect schools’ ability to provide the same level of teaching quality and curriculum breadth, as well as managing more teaching in school alongside continuing support for remote learning.

Senior leaders predict that when schools open to more pupils, 46 per cent of families, on average, will keep their children at home:Senior leaders with the highest proportion of free school meal (FSM) pupils estimate that more of their children’s families will keep them at home (50 per cent on average) compared with an average estimate of 42 per cent from leaders with the lowest proportion of FSM pupils. This raises concerns that pupils in most need of access to education will be least likely to receive it. In line with the advice from SAGE (2020), clear messages will be needed from Government to encourage families to allow their children to return.

Before schools were closed to the majority, the pandemic had the greatest impact on schools serving the most deprived pupils:Before 20 March, leaders from schools with the highest proportion of FSM pupils were more likely to report that they had experienced a significant drop in numbers of pupils attending school (73 per cent) than those with the lowest proportion of FSM pupils (57 per cent). This suggests that the differential impact of the pandemic on disadvantaged pupils dates back to the period before lockdown.

Most school leaders feel unprepared for resuming a range of activities when more pupils return to school:
School leaders feel least prepared for managing pupil movement around school (66 per cent) and organising school space to enable social distancing (65 per cent). However, 65 per cent of primary and 73 per cent of secondary leaders think it would be at least somewhat feasible to operate a rota with different year groups or classes in school on different days. This suggests that school leaders might be willing to adopt the option explored by SAGE (2020) for schools to split classes and rotate attendance every one or two weeks.

Opening to more pupils in June considered less feasible for primary schools:In May, only 18 per cent of primary school leaders felt it was very/entirely feasible to open their schools to more pupils this month. Some commented that it is simply not possible for them to ensure social distancing because children are too young to understand the rules and/or their school buildings are unsuitable. Recent Government guidance has aimed to address some of the concerns of primary schools, particularly around enforcing social distancing for young children.

Primary school leaders will also find it harder to manage a combination of face-to-face and distance learning (66 per cent of primary leaders felt unprepared for this compared with 52 per cent of secondary leaders). Secondary leaders are more positive about opening their schools’ to more pupils, with 37 per cent saying this is very/entirely feasible. It should be noted that secondary schools are being asked to take fewer year groups and not every day.

The findings suggest that the pandemic has had a greater impact on schools in the West Midlands, North West and London:School leaders were most likely to report some impact from Covid-19 on their schools in terms of the availability of staff and pupil attendance prior to 20 March if they were based in the West Midlands (84 per cent), London (82 per cent) and the North West (79 per cent) compared with school leaders in the East Midlands (61 per cent). School leaders were also more likely to estimate that a higher percentage of families would keep their children at home if they were based in the North West (50 per cent on average) compared with leaders in the South West (41 per cent on average).

Frequent cleaning and handwashing most essential safety measures:Most senior leaders say that frequent cleaning (96 per cent) and regular handwashing/sanitising (94 per cent) are very necessary/essential for safety when opening their schools to more pupils. Over half (56 per cent) consider it very necessary/essential to have access to personal protective equipment (PPE), although recent government guidance has sought to address this issue. Most feel at least somewhat prepared for maintaining hygiene when they open their schools to more pupils (66 per cent).

Senior leaders want the Government to provide clear, detailed and realistic guidance to schools on opening to more pupils:
Senior leaders want information from the Government (and to a lesser extent from local authorities and trusts) on how to manage social distancing. They want to know what is expected of schools, and under what circumstances there is flexibility for leaders to reduce the number of pupils on site. Recent government guidance may have addressed some of these issues.

NAHT calls on government to justify its belief that June 1st is a wise move

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT said:

 Support for a fixed date for school return is vanishing quickly. What is needed now is local flexibility to determine when it is right for schools to open up to more pupils, informed by evidence of what is happening in their local area.

We have never expected certainty; all we have asked for is clarity. The publication of the evidence being used to inform the government's decision-making is an important step in achieving greater transparency.

We’ve now seen what evidence the government has been working with. We all want to see schools back as soon as possible, so NAHT has written again to the secretary of state for education today because we still need the government to explain why it has so strongly asserted that a return to school on 1 June is a wise thing to do.

The government needs to show greater flexibility and a willingness to take local circumstances into account. A robust test, trace and isolate policy is essential if we are to successfully return more pupils to school.

Parents' views on the lockdown and school safety - NEU poll findings

From the NEU

Poll of over 1,000 parents, commissioned for NEU, shows support for lockdown measures since March

33% do not immediately plan to send their children back to school once measures are relaxed
Strong support for safety measures which have not yet been met by Government, including
widespread testing and tracing, before schools re-open

Last week the National Education Union commissioned a Deltapoll of 1,024 parents of school-age children in England.

In March the Government announced a range of measures in order to help the United Kingdom through the Covid-19 outbreak. The survey asked parents how supportive they were of measures implemented on or around 23 March, and to a large degree they were supportive of the cornerstones ‘staying at home’ (87%) and ‘social distancing’ (91%). In relation to education, they also supported the general closure of schools (86%), keeping schools open to disadvantaged children (81%), the suspending of Ofsted inspections (80%) and the cancelling of GCSE and A-Level exams (65%).

Overall, 92% of parents agree that the closure of schools has been an important factor in containing coronavirus. 90% of those polled have kept their child at home in light of lockdown requirements, the remainder being key workers or parents of a child with vulnerability needs.

Putting safety first
 
On 1 May the National Education Union announced its 5 Tests, which must be met by Government before the re-opening of schools can take place. We have also signed a joint letter from the six TUC unions representing school workers, which was sent to the Education Secretary on 8 May, setting out the yardsticks by which we can ‘ensure the safety of children, parents, staff and the communities they serve.’

The principles are clear, and many of them were reflected in the questions put to parents. When asked which of a range of ‘tests’ needed to apply before schools can re-open, they said:

The Covid-19 new case count must be much lower than it is now, with a sustained downward trend (82%)

Extensive arrangements for testing and contact tracing must be in place (77%)

Scientific or medical evidence shows that it is safe for children to return to school (84%)

Covid-19 testing for all children and staff at your child’s school is conducted (67%)

When asked if teachers should have to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when schools re-open, 59% agreed. This view was significantly higher amongst respondents in London (74%).

Parents also expressed a reluctance to send their children back to school as soon as it re-opens. Just under half (49%) said they would, with a third of the total sample (33%) intending to delay the return.
These views were consistent across primary and secondary sectors.

Commenting on the findings of the poll, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

With an aspiration to open schools more widely in less than three weeks from now, the Prime Minister is squandering a great deal of parental goodwill.

The NEU has supported the lockdown, but the past few days have revealed the Government’s garbled approach to the next phase. In his haste to use schools as a symbol of recovery, the Prime Minister has merely succeeded in revealing the incoherence at the heart of his strategy. His ‘sketch’ must be redrawn.

Now that the Prime Minister has set himself on a course out of lockdown, he needs to act fast to reassure unions, school staff and parents that when schools do open it will only be when our shared and widespread concerns for personal safety are fully met.

Brent governors should support the teaching unions' demands before any return to school

National press looking forward to Monday

This article is my personal view but based on my experience as a governor and former headteacher and teacher.

While the national press was trumpeting an end to lockdown last week I received notice of a meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon for Chairs of Governors with the Brent Strategic Director of Children and Young People 'to discuss the anticipated government announcement about the phased reopening of schools in the second half of this term.'

Following the unprecedented joint  statement by 10 teacher unions setting out conditions for re-opening I hope that phased re-opening will be delayed or extremely limited. LINK

This is because as governors we have a duty of care to our staff and must ensure that their workplace is safe. The lack of clarity from government ministers and press speculation over re-opening has taken its toll on headteachers faced with seemingly impossible demands that at the extreme may mean life or death decisions. LINK  They have to weigh up the damage to children of not attending school, including those without access to on-line learning, help from parents, space to study or access to a garden and the responsibility to ensure that their school does not become a hot spot of infection.

The NEU has sought evidence based justification for government decision making which as yet has not been answered: (Click bottom right square for full page view)

 I believe that governors should support the 5 tests put forward by the NEU that need to be met before any return to school:

Our five tests

We want to begin to reopen schools and colleges as soon as we can. But this needs to be safe for society, for children and their families and the staff who work in them.
We have these five tests which the Government should show will be met by reliable evidence, peer-reviewed science and transparent decision-making.

Test 1 : Much lower numbers of Covid-19 cases

The new case count must be much lower than it is now, with a sustained downward trend and confidence that new cases are known and counted promptly. And the Government must have extensive arrangements for testing and contact tracing to keep it that way.

Test 2 : A national plan for social distancing

The Government must have a national plan including parameters for both appropriate physical distancing and levels of social mixing in schools, as well as for appropriate PPE, which will be locally negotiated at school-by-school and local authority level.

Test 3 : Testing, testing, testing!

Comprehensive access to regular testing for children and staff to ensure our schools and colleges don’t become hot spots for Covid-19.

Test 4 : Whole school strategy

Protocols to be put in place to test a whole school or college when a case occurs and for isolation to be strictly followed.

Test 5 : Protection for the vulnerable

Vulnerable staff, and staff who live with vulnerable people, must work from home, fulfilling their professional duties to the extent that is possible. Plans must be specifically address the protection of vulnerable parents, grandparents and carers.

Plans in Brent need to take account of the local context where cases and deaths are running at one of the highest levels in London (precise figures change daily) and where the ONS (Office of National Statistics) locality statistics reveal hot spots within the borough. LINK

Latest figures are that nationally Brent is the second highest are in the country with 141.5 per 100,000 population. Second only to Newhan at 144.3.  The total number of cases in Brent (with the caveat that because of lack of testing there are probably many more) is 1405 and 52% of all recorded deaths were Covid related.

The ONS also report on the comparative incidence of death from Coronavirus in different ethnic groups. This anaylsis is quite old now and the latest suggestion is that the risk has worsened if anything:




This means that in any phased return to full school opening governing bodies should be aware that their BAME  (Black and Minority Ethnic) staff and BAME parents are at additional risk and need to take account also of the statistics within their local community.

As with the NHS this governors need to ensure that staff have access to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).  So far, and rightly, the NHS and Care Homes have been priortised by the local authority but PPE will need to be provided to schools if they re-open.  So far schools have only received gloves and the argument has been made that masks would frighten young children. In fact with the increasing use of masks and the likely introduction of a requirement to use them on public transport, children will soon be used to them.

Although there are BAME staff at every level in our schools the numbers are higher amongst support and premises staff.  They are more likely to live within the borough and thus exposed to infection locally.  If they live a distance away from the school they are more likely as low paid workers to use public transport rather than own a car. Travelling on public transport during rush hour is also likely to expose them to infection. Should we be considering changing hours to avoid peak travel periods.

Another consideration is if children return how will schools handle the transition. Many children without access to a garden will be suffering from the side effects of lockdown and separation from their peers. and perhaps from tensions in the home caused by isolation in the family unit. Despite the best efforts of school staff to provide learning packs and on-line  education, some will lag behind more fortunate peers.  The children's mental health will be paramount and schools may well decide that a return to  formal curriculum will have to be gradual with plenty of time for outdoor learning and creative activities in the first weeks of return.

Practical considerations will be paramount.  How to organise classrooms and pupil numbers so that social distancing can be maintained in the playground as well as the classroom.  Many classrooms are small so may comfortably accommodate only 8-10 children at social distancing of 2 metres. If a Year 6 class is split into 3 or 4 classes each will require a space and staff - how practical is that?  If priority is given to children  without access to on-line resources teaches will be dealing with both the physical and virtual classroom and the interactions involved. Workload is a consideration.

There has been discussion about a phased return perhaps prioritising Years 5 and 6 and othjers returning later as well as suggestions of one week on, one week off shifts or 8.30 to 11.30, 12.30-3.30 sessions.

It will be important for schools to share what has worked for them during the partial closure when they were dealing with key worker and vulnerable children.

Governing boards will have much to discuss and plans and risk assessments to complete before any return to school.