ASCL leader Geoff Barton today warned that Covid is continuing to
cause educational havoc as a survey conducted by the union
revealed that more than 90% of headteachers say teaching and
learning has been impacted by pupil and staff absence during the
autumn term.
Nearly one third say the impact has been severe.
The survey also reveals that the Covid vaccination programme for
12 to 15-year-olds will not be delivered to more than 40% of
eligible schools by the government’s target date of the October
half term.
And it shows that most of the schools surveyed have been targeted
by anti-vaccination campaigners, mainly through emails
threatening legal action, but in some cases in communications
threatening staff with physical harm and incidents in which
protesters have gained access to school sites.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said: “Life is most definitely not back to
normal in our schools and colleges. The impact of coronavirus is
an everyday reality which continues to cause havoc to the
education of children and young people and places leaders and
their staff under enormous pressure.
“It is extremely frustrating that the vaccination programme which
offers some hope of salvation is apparently beset with delays and
is running behind schedule. We don’t blame healthcare teams for
this as we are sure they are working flat out.
“However, it is incredibly remiss of the government not to have
ensured that there was sufficient capacity in place to deliver
this vital programme at the scale and speed required, and we urge
ministers to get a grip of the situation and put the resources in
place.
“The government must also redouble its efforts to encourage
regular home testing among eligible pupils and invest in
high-quality ventilation systems.
“The high level of ongoing disruption again emphasises the
pressing need for the Chancellor to vastly improve funding for
education recovery in his forthcoming Budget.
“School budgets are also taking a hammering because of the cost
of hiring supply staff to cover for absence and the government
must provide additional funding to help with these costs.
“An additional difficulty is that on top of all of this schools
are also having to deal with the activities of anti-vaccination
campaigners.
“This is at best incredibly unhelpful, and at worst very
distressing, and we appeal to those concerned to see sense and
stop this nonsense.”
The survey of 567 headteachers and principals of schools and
colleges in England found:
- 95% (537) said teaching and learning had been impacted by
Covid-related pupil and staff absence during the autumn term so
far, with 31% (173) saying the impact was severe.
- Covid-related pupil absence was currently running at above
10% in 93 schools, and staff absence at above 10% in 63 schools.
- Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents said it was more
difficult than normal to hire supply staff to cover for staff
absence.
- 23% said that rates charged by agencies to hire supply staff
were higher than normal.
Of the 526 responses in schools eligible for the Covid
vaccination programme for 12 to 15-year-olds:
- Vaccinations have taken place in just over a third so far
(34%)
- 25% said the scheduled date for Covid vaccinations had been
delayed for all or some students beyond the date they had been
given by the School Age Immunisation Service.
- 42% of respondents reported that vaccinations are not
scheduled to take place in their school before the target date of
the October half-term break.
- Most schools have been targeted by anti-vaccination
campaigners mainly in the form of emails threatening legal action
(79%).
- 13% reported seeing protesters immediately outside their
school premises, and 20% reported protesters in the local area.
- Eighteen schools said protesters had gained access and
protested inside the school premises, and 20 said they had
received communications threatening physical harm to staff.
Comments from headteachers included:
- “This half term has certainly felt much more challenging than
this time last year. Things are far from normal currently in
schools and it does feel like we are being left to do our best to
survive.”
- “At times we have really struggled to maintain face-to-face
teaching.”
- “We are close to the point of not being able to operate for
every year group if staff absence continues.”
- “Pupil disruption is at an all-time high. Some in, some out,
makes it much harder to support remotely and face-to-face.”
- “The impact of Covid continues to rumble on and I expect it
will continue to do so. Covid absence creates daily challenges
which impact on time for other areas of school and the
development of teaching and learning.”
The survey was conducted via an email link to 3,601 headteachers
and principals in England on 13 to 14 October. The majority of
responses (75%) were from state-maintained secondary schools,
with the rest being a mixture of primary and middle schools,
colleges, special schools, alternative provision, and independent
schools.
