Commenting on the Children’s Commission for England’s data
release showing local area profiles for the numbers of vulnerable
children at risk during the Coronavirus
emergency, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of
the National Education Union, said:
“We welcome the data the Office of the Children’s
Commissioner (OCC) has collated to enable good local responses to
supporting vulnerable children.
“Schools around the country are working tirelessly to
support vulnerable children, whether students are on- or
off-site. We think local authority co-ordination to safeguard
vulnerable children is really important, which is why we
emphasise this in the NEU advice for members on supporting
vulnerable children (1).
“Children are not ‘hidden’ from schools. Schools know their
students really well and care deeply about children who face
challenges. The Covid-19 crisis weighs heavily on teachers'
minds, causing sleepless nights, anxiety and ongoing worry – they
know going to school is such a vital part of life for children in
usual times.
“School staff are responding to this crisis in creative and
flexible ways to support the children who are at home. Staff are
focused on both learning and wellbeing but also on getting food
and vouchers out and sorting access to technology. Creating
reassuring environments and supporting the wellbeing of children
is more important that pushing children through the
curriculum.
“Some areas of the OCC analysis mixes up safeguarding risk
and attainment ‘risk’ and this is unhelpful. We must not jumble
up vulnerable children, low attaining children, low income
families, and children who are 'at risk'.
“Expecting all vulnerable children to attend on-site
provision isn't realistic or necessarily the safest option. Some
children with a social worker are safe at home during this time.
Some vulnerable children are not coming to school on site for a
wide range of reasons, including lack of transport,
self-isolating, or shielding family members.
“Where vulnerable children are not attending, school
leaders are working closely with local authorities to implement
additional support in the home and community and we need support
and funding to make co-operation possible. Local authorities are
going to run out of funds soon without more investment from
Government.
“The legacy of austerity has created huge social
inequalities, as we enter this health crisis. We need to re-set
the education system so that it can respond individually to
children and their needs. The NEU wants to create a 'new normal'
for education because all sorts of families, especially the newly
bereaved, are going to require more emotional help from school
than ever before.”
Editor’s Note
(1) https://neu.org.uk/coronavirus-what-you-need-know-vulnerable-students
