Proposals to after lockdown
On the Prime Minister’s ambition to return all pupils to schools for five days a week in autumn, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said schools and colleges were trying to prepare for September amid an “information black hole” from the Government.
Mr Barton said school and college leaders are preparing for two scenarios for the autumn – using rotas to stagger the return of pupils or bringing students back full-time – amid an “absence of information”.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The desire to bring everyone back is correct but we need to know what the Government is thinking and the scenarios they are planning for.
“This will give school communities what they need to get through this term and plan for the new academic year in September.”
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), added: “The Prime Minister’s hopes are not enough.”
“If the requirements of social distancing – in order to stop a second peak – are reduced even to 1m, then most schools could not have 30 children in a classroom,” he added.
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Gibb said: “We are working with the school sector, we’re taking advice and we give schools plenty of notice in time to plan for that reopening in September.
“Of course, we’re working on other contingency plans but the clear intention is that we’ll have all children back in school in September.”
Mr Gibb said the catch-up funding for schools will begin to be distributed from the start of the academic year in September – and headteachers will have the discretion to decide on how the funding is spent.
When asked yesterday whether this could happen in schools in England, the Prime Minister said: “Of course, on the social distancing measures, as I’ve said, watch this space. We will be putting in further changes as the science allows.”