Nearly nine out of ten secondary schools and colleges in
England will open to more pupils from Monday, according to a
survey by the Association of School and College Leaders.
It is the next step in easing the education lockdown
triggered by the coronavirus epidemic, and will see the start of
face-to-face contact for Year 10 and 12 pupils, who take GCSEs,
A-levels, and other important qualifications, next
year.
This follows the wider opening of primary schools to
reception, Year 1, and Year 6 pupils from 1 June.
Government
guidance stipulates that no more than a quarter of the
total cohort of eligible secondary pupils should be in school or
college at any one time, and institutions have had to implement a
raft of safety measures to protect the health and wellbeing of
staff and children.
The survey of 833 secondary school headteachers, college
principals, and trust leaders found:
-
88% of secondary schools and colleges are planning to
open to more pupils from Year 10 and/or Year 12 from Monday.
The main reason for not opening to more pupils from 15 June is
local concerns about the reproduction rate of the virus, with
wider opening potentially commencing from 22 June
instead.
-
62% expect to bring in all the eligible pupils, other
than those who are shielding or self-isolating.
-
26% expect to bring in some eligible pupils, but not all
of them, mainly because a proportion of parents have indicated
that they do not intend to send in their children. Other
reasons include problems with transport arrangements, as
government guidance advises the use of public transport is kept
to a minimum.
Government guidance on secondary school and college
provision from 15 June is unspecific about what institutions
should offer, saying only that it should involve some
‘face-to-face contact’.
Unsurprisingly, the model of provision therefore varies
with schools and colleges making decisions based on how best to
support the wellbeing and learning of pupils, while keeping the
cohort size to no more than a quarter, within the context of
available space and staffing.
Many are planning weekly, or more than weekly contact
sessions, for all eligible pupils, while others have a mixed
model with different arrangements for Year 10 and Year 12 pupils,
or prioritising more contact for pupils who have struggled with
remote learning. Others are providing review sessions for all
pupils, with extra support as required, while some are building
the frequency of contact sessions over time.
Respondents were asked about any issues which have proved
problematic. Many reported that the complexity of implementing
the government guidance and quotas has been challenging, with
several saying the guidance has lacked clarity. A number called
for information about government plans for
September.
The wider opening of schools and colleges extends the
emergency provision which has continued throughout the lockdown
for the children of key workers and for vulnerable children, and
which will continue alongside the new arrangements.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of
School and College Leaders, said: “Schools and colleges have
moved mountains to support children through the coronavirus
pandemic with emergency provision, remote learning, and now
bringing in more children, in extremely challenging
circumstances.
“This is akin to something between a military operation and
an exercise in mathematics. There are many practical safety
measures to put in place, as well as allocating small groups of
eligible pupils to available teachers, while ensuring no more
than a quarter of the cohort is on site at any time.
“School and college staff deserve great credit for all they
have done over the past few months, and all they are doing
now.
“What is important now is that the government works with
the profession, as a matter of urgency, on a national plan for
the recovery of education, with a particular focus on what
happens from September, and how we support the learning and
wellbeing of all children disrupted by this crisis.
“It is essential that this plan is developed as soon as
possible in order to give schools and colleges time to prepare
for this vital mission.”
Note on the survey:
The survey was sent by email to 3,229 secondary school
headteachers, trust chief executives, and college principals in
England on Wednesday 10 June. There were 833 responses, a
response rate of 26%. The survey included secondary schools in
both the state (81%) and independent sectors (12%). Other
providers included FE, and sixth form colleges, and alternative
provision.
