Fears as some schools have 70% attendance

SOME schools in Leicester and Leicestershire still have 70 per cent of pupils attending, leading to fears there will be a further spread of Covid-19 despite the national lockdown.

Schools and colleges have been closed to all but vulnerable children and those whose parents and guardians are key workers, such as NHS and care staff and 999 employees.

However, education bosses say they are seeing a far higher number of pupils in classrooms than in the first national lockdown in March because the government has now expanded the definition of who is a key worker.

Scientific advice group Independent Sage has warned infections will continue to spread in schools unless there is a narrowing of the key worker definition and a greater shift to online home education.

The government has said the schools situation will be reviewed in mid-February and, though it originally said it had been a priority to keep schools open, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accepted they may act as “vectors for transmission”.

Despite this, no limit has been set on the number of pupils who can attend school.

Jane Moore, chairman of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Resilience Forum Education Group, said the demand for on-site learning across the city and county was “significant”.

She said: “School leaders are working exceptionally hard to ensure those children who need to be learning on-site can be and that they have access to quality remote learning. But parents and carers who are critical workers should keep their children at home if they can. This is a real moment for us to work collectively, keep schools safe and reduce transmission.”

Mrs Moore, County Hall’s director of children and young persons, said: “It varies from school to school, and depends on the physical size of the school, whether it is close to a hospital, for example, or another place that requires a large number of critical workers.

“There is also a greater need for vulnerable children.

“We know some schools across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland have had requests for up to 70 per cent of their pupils to be on-site learning whereas for others the numbers are more manageable.

“That is why we are working closely with school leaders to make sure children are safe and we have as many children learning at home as possible in order to keep transmission down.”

City of Leicester National Education Union spokesman Joseph Wyglendacz said: “There is significant concern with the sheer number of children coming into schools, predominantly primaries, across Leicester.

“The very real threat of Covid transmission isn’t being reduced - especially in schools where we know have 50 per cent to 70 per cent of children in and all staff.

“Areas of deprivation in Leicester will be worst hit by this, due the government’s sheer lack of support in providing all vulnerable children with the equipment to access remote learning.”

Areas of deprivation will be worst hit by this, due the government’s sheer lack of support Joseph Wyglendacz