Fighting Covid19 in Brent Zoom Meeting May 27th

Zoom ID: 4648578247  Password: 274903

Background (Source:  ons.gov.uk)

Cllr Georgiou spearheads campaign to get IT home learning equipment to refugee students during Covid19 crisis

Cllr Anton Georgiou, Liberal Democrat councillor for Alperton ward,  is leading a campaign to persuade the Department for Education to equip refugee and ESOL students with IT equipment for home learning during the current coronavirus shut down.

In a letter to Secretary of State, Gavin Williamson, Georgiou and his fellow signatories state:

We welcome the initiative that has been taken by central Government to supply the most vulnerable students with computer equipment to facilitate home learning in the coming weeks. However, we would like to see this extended to other vulnerable groups too. 

For example, we are concerned that young refugee and ESL students are being allowed to slip through the net. We are seeing in our communities, and also through anecdotal evidence provided by organisations like Young Roots and Refugee Support Network, that this group of young people are not being provided with the support they need at this time. Although their need for computer equipment is great and they have a social worker, they do not meet the specific criteria set by central Government. 

There are also young people, refugees and asylum seekers aged 19 to 25 who are in further and higher education, but do not have access to computer equipment to enable them to engage in online learning, because they are currently not eligible. It is critical that those who need help get it. We need to ensure that students who already face acute challenges in performing at the same level as some of their peers do not fall further behind, thus widening the attainment gap in our schools, colleges and universities. 

We are calling on the Government to make a concerted effort over the coming weeks to ensure that this much- needed computer equipment reaches these vulnerable groups who are currently not eligible.

Although a Liberal Democrat initiative  I am sure many Wembley Matters readers, irrespective of party, will support this call.

The letter can be read in full HERE

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.

Joint unions reach agreement on school wider opening with Brent Council

After a meeting between education union officers and Brent CEO Carolyn Downs and Strategic Director of Children and Young People, Gail Tolley the following was agreed earlier today:

A gradual return is beneficial with NO RUSH.

Schools SHOULD match their risk assessments against the joint union checklist.

Brent ARE supportive of schools delaying opening.

They EXPECT mention of risk to people of BME backgrounds to be in risk assessments.

There is PPE in Brent and it should be used where needed.

There MUST be social distancing in schools.

Schools MUST consult with trade union reps and members on the risk assessments. Local authority schools will be told to do this. Academies/free schools will be advised.

Risk assessments have to be done by SLT and HAVE to be signed off by governors/trustees BY LAW.

New cases of COVID-19 in schools have to be reported to public health. Therefore there should be a protocol for this in schools.

Gail  Tolley will be advising Heads that there are many new union reps who need to be given time to be consulted.

The council will support any school that decides to focus on other year groups if they believe reception/nursery aren't safe.

Brent Zoom meeting for parents and school staff on school re-openings

Brent Council will support schools, staff and parents whatever their decision on school return but make no recommendation

Cllr Butt (right) at Pakistan Independence Day celebrations

 Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt has said in an opinion piece on the Kilburn Times website that Brent Council will not force schools to re-open. Instead it will support them whatever action they decide to take. He does not make a clear recommendation not to re-open for a wider group of pupils as some councils have done.  BAME people in Brent are particularly affected by high death rates from Covid-19.

The Kilburn Times articlel LINK

For councils up and down the country this past week will have been dominated by the decision to begin opening schools up to more pupils.

And it’s not just local authorities – the schools themselves, teachers and the teaching unions, and of course parents will have all been wrestling with what is an incredibly complex set of circumstances. In my experience, in much of our work designing and delivering public services, there are choices where it’s obvious what is the right thing to do. Then there are choices where compromises are needed but it is still possible to determine which way to go. And there are those choices where all you can do is identify the least-worst option.

Of course, the vast majority of schools in Brent have remained open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting children of key workers and vulnerable children but the question is now whether schools are ready to safely take back more children in a phased basis starting with Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

The overriding priority must be to keep everyone involved safe from harm, not least our children and young people but also, of course, school staff. But right now, because this situation is so complicated, that’s just not possible. Until a vaccine is available, sending more children back to school risks exposing them to infection. Yet, if we continue to wait until a vaccine is ready, we risk potentially lasting damage to their personal development and academic attainment – damage that disproportionately affects those from less well-off households, of which there are many in Brent. Both risks are very real. Either on its own would ordinarily be considered totally unacceptable. But we are now nearing a point where we have to pick one.

It is central government’s clear wish that schools begin to reopen from June 1. We are told that government is acting on scientific advice and that the known benefits of a return to formal education outweigh the estimated risks of coronavirus infection and transmission. Now, I do understand the imperative, especially because of how important a proper education is to a child’s life chances. Nonetheless, councils like ours, schools, teaching unions, and parent groups across the UK are pressing government to publish that advice as it is local authorities which have a clear role in supporting and advising schools locally.

In the meantime, we have to work on the assumption that the situation is as government says, and as such we have asked our schools to begin making the necessary preparations for a June 1 reopening. However, I want to stress that, until government can provide greater assurance, although we have instructed our schools to make these preparations, we do not plan on forcing them to actually reopen. We will instead support them whether or not they choose to do so at this time. Teachers can also rely on our unconditional support whether or not they are yet ready to return to the classroom. Parents too will have our full support whether or not they feel it’s safe enough to send their children back to school.

In summary, we believe the responsible course of action to be preparing the ground for a return to school in the near future. But we are not yet certain that the many benefits of returning outweigh the risks of doing so. We will keep our position under daily review, are committed to consulting widely, and will make clear any changes as and when they are made.

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Cllr Ketan Sheth calls for councils to work closely with community on school re-openings

Cllr Ketan Sheth, the Chair of Brent's Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, has become the first senior councillor to speak out on the wider re-opening of schools. LINK

Extract from the interview:

In Brent, according to the 2011 Census, the BAME population is as high as 63.73%, with 18.64% Indians and 34.06% Asians.

Cllr Ketan Sheth, Brent Council’s Chair of Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee highlighted that effective management mechanisms between national and local government are critical, “The role of education in daily life as well as society is very important and leaves a great impact on our progress as a community,” he said.

“Now, we have started discussions to ease our coronavirus lockdown, by re-opening schools in a bid to restart our economy. However concerns this might become a breeding ground for a second wave of Covid-19 cases may convince parents to keep their children at home.

“The role of local government is the key to unlocking, as it knows its people, communities and children. Daily local government delivers services to their local residents. Therefore, it only stands to reason that local government are a vital ingredient to a community solution.

“As Covid-19 shows, pandemics are complex social and behavioural challenges and not just technocratic issues. Parents, teachers, children are grappling with the threat of contracting the infection or dealing with personal loss. Effective management mechanisms between national and local government are critical.

“Anxiety will linger over infection rates, but if we work together, at a local level, in the communities where we live, we can be agile, and creative, in our services: together we can do it locally.”

Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Assoications s Children and Young People Board, told Asian Times:

 “We know parents are anxious about sending their children back to school or nursery.

“Plans to re-open schools and early years settings must focus on reassuring parents that it will be safe for children to return to school. Publication of the scientific advice is vital to help provide that reassurance.The safety of staff, parents and families is absolutely paramount.

“Councils need to be able to close provision where testing indicates clusters of new Covid-19 cases and it is vital that schools have the resources to provide staff with necessary protective equipment, as well as soap and hand sanitiser for cleaning.”

Time for Brent Council's political leadership to take a stand on the wider re-opening of schools

With some local authorities advising schools not to adopt wider re-opening pressure is mounting on Brent Council's political leadership to take a stand. The wider re-opening of schools is not even on the agenda for the May 28th Cabinet Meeting - the day when the government will announce whether its 5 tests have been met for school wider re-opening.

Although local authorities do not have powers to instruct schools on the issue the National Governors' Association  have said that local schools should take note of LA advice.

I draw Labour councillors attention to this resolution adopted by the Socialist Education Association, an affiliate of the Labour Party:

This resolution comes from the Socialist Educational Association, Labour’s affiiated education organisation. 

Schools only to fully re-open when safe

Since the government partially shut school buildings on March 20th, schools across the country have worked hard to continue providing an education for students via distance learning, support vulnerable students and provide a safe place for the children of key workers. Some school buildings were closed but education hasn't stopped. Returning to school is vital for young people – especially those from less advantaged backgrounds – but it is imperative that this is safe, carefully planned, and that students return to an appropriate, supportive curriculum to help them respond to the strange circumstances they have been in.

Teachers, support staff, pupils and their families must not be used as an experiment and it would be reckless for any Government to ignore the independent scientific advice, which is at best uncertain, and thereby endanger lives. The British Medical Association has stated that opening schools at the moment would risk a second spike and increase the spread of this virus in a dangerous fashion.

The SEA are clear that school buildings cannot fully reopen until the following has been met:

1. Much lower numbers of Covid-19 cases (with a sustained downward trend).
2. A national plan for social distancing, including clear parameters and appropriate PPE in schools.
3. Comprehensive access to regular testing for students and staff to ensure that schools do not become spreading spots for Covid-19.
4. Protocols put in place to test whole schools or colleges when cases occur and to strictly isolate cases.
5. Protection for vulnerable students and staff, and those who live with vulnerable people. This should include the ability of staff to work from home to fulfil their professional duties as far as possible, and provision for students with vulnerable home situations to learn remotely.

We call on the UK Government to establish an Education Task Force comprised of education Trade Unions, epidemiologists, and other stakeholders; they should be tasked with producing a short, medium and long term plan for reopening schools during the continued threat of Covid-19, including the criteria that will be used for making decisions, and to be widely shared as soon as possible.

We encourage Local Authorities and Academy Trusts to follow the example of LAs such as Liverpool, Haringey, North of Tyne, Hartlepool, and Brighton – and devolved governments in Wales, Scotland, and NI - in making it clear that they will not reopen schools until it is safe.