Teaching unions fear rise in Covid cases as schools return
PUPILS ARE BEING TESTED BEFORE START OF TERM
MOST secondary schools across Derbyshire will start testing pupils for Covid over the next few days in preparation for the start of the autumn term next week.
Secondary school pupils across the UK are being asked by the Department for Education (DfE) to take two rapid tests as the term starts to see if they have the virus, and twice-weekly tests at home after that.
Under new rules, aimed at keeping more children in school, pupils who are close contacts of positive cases will also no longer have to isolate when term starts.
And pupils and staff will no longer be recommended by the DfE to wear masks in secondary schools in England or be in bubbles as for much of the last academic year.
Pupils are expected to test twice weekly at home until the end of September, when the measure will be reviewed.
But teaching unions have expressed concerns that little has been done to prepare schools for the possibility of large numbers of cases as reported positive tests are currently rising.
Most schools have said they have contingency plans in place if the numbers of staff and pupils with Covid rises after the new term starts.
From now on, children under 18 and members of staff who are double vaccinated no longer need to isolate if they are identified as a close contact of anyone confirmed as having Covid.
Anyone identified as a close contact will be informed that they may take their own PCR test. All contact tracing is now done by the NHS Test and Trace service and will no longer be completed by schools.
Youngsters aged 16 to 18 have had the chance to be vaccinated during the summer and the Government has still to announce if 12 to 15-yearolds will be offered a jab in the near future.
Plans by the Government to put 300,000 carbon monoxide monitors in schools to alert them about poor ventilation levels do not seem to have resulted in the equipment being delivered yet.
While CO2 monitors do not affect the transmission risk in schools, they can help to indicate how well ventilated a classroom is.
Humans breathe out a higher concentration of carbon dioxide than is present in the atmosphere, so the monitors help to detect how much of the surrounding air has been breathed out, and how much is fresh air from outside.
It is likely that mainstream schools will receive one device per two classrooms and staff rooms.
At Littleover Community School on-site testing began yesterday for pupils in years seven, 12 and 13 and will continue today for those in years 10 and 11.
Head teacher Jon Wilding said that 200 new year seven pupils had been tested yesterday morning and sixth formers were due to have tests in the afternoon.
The term officially starts at the Pastures Hill school on Monday and pupils in years eight and nine will be tested then in a staggered return to lessons.
All pupils will receive their second test during the rest of next week.
Head teacher Jon Wilding said: “The first set of tests are being organised in tutor groups before pupils return to school and begin lessons.
“Once pupils have taken the first test, they will leave the site and results will be emailed to parents later in the day. If a student test positive, they must self-isolate immediately and book a PCR test.
“I will be informing parents and carers on Friday about our guidance over face masks.
“We are looking at the local situation with Covid-19 cases and waiting to see if we have any positive results from on-site testing over the next two days.”
At Lees Brook Community School in Chaddesden, head teacher Zoe House has written to parents to tell them that “we will be operating in a ‘normal’ way, students will be able to move around the school as they used to and year group bubbles will no longer formally exist”.
But there will be some hangovers from the Covid regime, with staggered lunchtimes.
The first Covid tests for pupils will begin today and a second test will take place next week as pupils return to lessons again in a staggered start.
At Allestree Woodlands, the term begins on Tuesday for year seven, 10, 12 and 13 students and on Wednesday for those in years eight, nine and 11.
Head teacher Gemma Penny has written to parents and said: “We have started the testing regime during the final week of the summer holidays in order to speed things up and get most students back in school by the end of the first week.
“We do understand that some families will have planned trips in the final week of the holidays and we will work with you to get your child into school for their Covid tests at the earliest opportunity in the first week back.
“However, it is essential that students have both lateral flow tests before they come back into school properly.”
At Derby Moor Academy in Littleover, pupils will be offered their first on-site tests the day before they have a staggered return to lessons, starting on Monday. A second test will be administered three to five days later.
Principal Scott Doyle said: “As society begins to adjust back to the new normal we will also revert to our original routines with students moving around the building for different lessons.
“We do have a contingency plan to be ready to respond to changing conditions locally with regard to Covid 19 as we have done throughout this academic year.”
Derby City Council’s education and public health teams say they are ready to help schools as they adjust back to “normal.”
A council spokesman said: “Schools have continually risen to the challenges of managing Covid19 over the last 18 months and will be well prepared to welcome students back in the new term.
“Whilst we do anticipate an increase in Covid-19 cases in September due to a combination of schools opening, increasing socialising indoors, people returning to workplaces after the summer break and as they open more fully, Derby City Council education team and public health teams will be supporting them as required.
“Families can help do the right thing for Derby schools by undertaking regular rapid testing, isolating and booking PCR tests if they are symptomatic and by getting vaccinated if they are eligible and not already done so.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, which has hundreds of members across Derbyshire, said that little had been done to prepare for the return to school.
He said: “Next to nothing has been done to prepare for the possibility of large numbers of cases which will lead to lots of education disruption as children and staff have to isolate because they are positive – or stay off because their Covid symptoms go on longer.
“It is perfectly clear to education professionals that the current safety requirements for schools and colleges are not sufficient to prevent a rise in cases come September.
“Government should support leaders in secondary schools and colleges in weighing up the case for continuing to require staff and students to wear face coverings around the premises – including potentially in classrooms – and on dedicated school transport, particularly in areas with high case rates.”
Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, also appealed for the Government to do more to keep schools open.
He said: “It would be naïve to assume that things will be completely back to normal this September. Scientists are already predicting that Covid cases are likely to increase further when schools re-open and sadly we know that further disruption is inevitable.
“The key is that Government does everything in its power to keep that disruption to a bare minimum.
“That means that at the very least they must ensure that we have a properly functioning test and trace system that parents can have confidence in, ensure a quick and effective public health response should additional mitigations be required in some schools and provide financial support to ensure that all classrooms are properly ventilated.
“The Government needs to do much more than issue warm words and hope for the best – it must do everything in its power to ensure that schools are kept as safe as possible so that as few children as possible miss out on education this year.”
And Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, added: “Ministers must not risk complacency or follow a strategy of crossing their fingers and hoping for the best if the number of Covid cases rises following school reopening.
“We only need to look across the border to Scotland to see that there has been a steep increase in Covid cases among school-age pupils within just a couple of weeks.
“In the event of rising case numbers, ministers will need to consider the reintroduction of the requirement for pupils to self-isolate when they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.
“This should be supported by an extended programme of onsite testing in schools, rather than relying on a less effective system of home testing.”
The key is that Government does everything in its power to keep that disruption to a bare minimum. Nick Brook