Findings from an NAHT survey of school leaders in England, released today, show that one in 10 schools had between 40 and 60 per cent of pupils attending last week, after the lockdown came into effect.
Amid growing concerns that schools could become overwhelmed with higher numbers of pupils attending than the last lockdown, the Department for Education (DfE) updated its guidance for critical workers on Friday (8 January) evening, and advised parents and carers of children who are eligible for a school place that they should keep them at home if at all possible.
It states, ‘Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (Covid-19) and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined in the following sections. Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school or college if required, but parents and carers should keep their children at home if they can.’
NAHT’s survey, which received 4,964 responses on 7 January, found that 74 percent of school leaders reported that the demand for places from key worker families and vulnerable children has ‘greatly increased’ compared to the lockdown last March.
It also found:
- 99 per cent of schools were open to key worker and vulnerable children
- 38 per cent of schools reported they had 21-30 per cent of their usual cohort attending.
- 34 per cent of schools said they had more than 31 per cent of their usual cohort attending.
- 48 per cent said they had had to prioritise places due to an excess of demand
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, said that the Government’s ‘confused message’ to parents on school attendance risked defeating the national aim of supressing the virus.
He said, ‘We are concerned that high levels of attendance could seriously undermine the impact of lockdown measures, and may even run the risk of ultimately extending school closures. We urgently need the Government to specify how many pupils on-site might be too many.’
He added, ‘Government guidance currently says that "children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school if required. This includes parents who may be working from home." It also says that "there is no limit to the numbers of these pupils who may attend and schools should not limit attendance of these groups." However, the guidance states that "parents and carers who are critical workers should keep their children at home if they can."
Mr Whiteman added, ‘This situation is incredibly difficult for parents. The increase in demand for places compared to the national lockdown last March is very concerning. It is critical that school places for the children of key workers are only used when absolutely necessary in order to reduce the numbers in school and stem the spread of the virus.
‘Our survey shows that 1 in 10 schools had between 40 and 60 percent of pupils attending last week, after the lockdown came into effect. In these circumstances it is understandable why quite so many parents with children at home are questioning, with some degree of frustration, why their children are being asked to stay at home when so many aren’t.
‘The Government must be clear on what it intends schools and families to do. If the national priority is to suppress the virus then it must provide schools with clear guidance so that reasonable levels of attendance can be set.’
The NAHT remains ‘particularly concerned’ about the situation in special schools and nurseries where up to 100 percent of pupils and children are expected to attend.
Transmission rates
Meanwhile, the NEU and UNISON wrote to education secretary Gavin Williamson on Friday, raising concerns about the effect a significant extension to the number of pupils allowed back into school will have on Coronavirus transmission rates.
Speaking about the Government’s change to the guidance on school attendance of key worker children, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said, ‘All of the latest statistics about number of cases and hospitalisation tells us that we have to do everything we can to cut the number of contacts that people have. Therefore we welcome the DfE statement that critical workers should keep their children at home if they can.
‘It is however regrettable that the DfE issues this statement at 5:30 on a Friday evening when it should have been made plain from first thing Tuesday morning. All of this will lead to further confusion for parents and for headteachers trying to manage education for key worker and vulnerable children.
‘The DfE has presumably issued this advice because of the number of children who have been present in primary schools this week, which has been far higher than during the lockdown in March.
‘The DfE should have been seeking to avoid this given that the Sage minutes from 22 December at paragraph 12 suggested there was concern that even with measures as stringent as last March, and with the new variant of the virus, the R rate might not be below one.'
A DfE spokesperson said, ‘Schools are open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. We expect schools to work with families to ensure all critical worker children are given access to a place if this is required.
‘If critical workers can work from home and look after their children at the same time then they should do so, but otherwise this provision is in place to enable them to provide vital services.
‘The protective measures that schools have been following throughout the autumn terms remain in place to help protect staff and students, while the national lockdown helps reduce transmission in the wider community.’
- Guidance on critical worker and vulnerable children attendance in schools is available here
