Commenting on the lockdown guidance for schools issued today by
the Department for Education, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of
the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
“Schools and colleges have been waiting for this guidance since
the Prime Minister’s announcement on Saturday, and it is
frustrating that it has taken so long to arrive given that they
now have to digest and implement these measures in a short
timeframe.
“The Prime Minister spoke today about it being a moral duty to
keep schools open, and we agree it is the right priority, but the
government also has a moral duty to support schools, and timely
guidance is an important part of delivering on that duty.
“The guidance means it will now be mandatory for face coverings
to be worn in the communal areas of all secondary schools and
colleges.
“This extension to the rule on face coverings is a sensible
response to rising Covid levels, and will act as an extra level
of protection on top of the other safety measures in schools. It
is vital that this requirement is respected by all parents and
pupils. The vast majority are supportive, but we are aware of
schools receiving objections from some parents to existing
policies.
“It is frustrating that there is still no information on what
circumstances would trigger the government’s own contingency plan
for rota systems in secondary schools. We appreciate that this is
not the intention during the national lockdown but given that the
situation is clearly precarious then clarity would be helpful.
“The guidance clarifies that clinically extremely vulnerable
staff and pupils should not come into school or college. This is
absolutely the right decision, but it will mean that there are
more staff missing from the workplace, on top of those who are
self-isolating.
“It is imperative that the government reimburses schools and
colleges with the cost of hiring supply cover for staff absence.
We have received reports of schools having to spend £6,000 per
week on supply cover, and this situation is going to become
worse. Schools and colleges cannot sustain these costs.
“The guidance allows for after-school provision for the purpose
of childcare but not for after-school clubs. We understand the
public health basis for this decision, but we are concerned about
the extent to which activities such as sports clubs are again
being curtailed by the impact of the pandemic.
“The government’s education recovery planning does need to take
into account the impact of these restrictions on health and
wellbeing.”
