‘Keep your child home if you can’

TEACHERS DRAW UP PRIORITY LISTS AS SCHOOLS ARE OVER-SUBSCRIBED

SO many parents have asked to send their children to school during lockdown that teachers across the county have been forced to draw up priority lists to decide which pupils are allowed into class.

A number of schools across the county are over-subscribed, which is thought to be caused by the number of parents who qualify as critical workers during the third national lockdown.

A letter, sent to parents and carers of county pupils by Jane Moore, director of children and family services at Leicestershire County Council, has urged them to teach their children at home if they can.

In the letter, she wrote: “Across Leicestershire we are seeing an increasing number of children requiring an on-site school place and, in some places, this is greater than the school’s capacity.

“The key message from government is to keep your child at home if you possibly can, even if you are a critical worker.

“To keep both pupils and staff safe, the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Resilience Forum (LLR) have set out a guide for school leaders to ensure that those most in need of a place can access one.”

Critical workers whose children can be prioritised for school places in Leicester and Leicestershire (in no particular order) are listed as:

■Families with two critical workers or single parent families who are critical workers;

■Critical local authority and public service workers who cannot perform their tasks from home without their children attending school;

■ Frontline health and social care workers;

■Officers and staff from the police and fire service;

■ Early Years and school staff. Ms Moore, who sits as the education boss on the LLR, added: “We know that regular attendance at school is good for children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as for their education.

“Nonetheless, with the current high levels of infection in the community, it is better that there are fewer pupils attending school at this moment.

“School leaders and staff are working exceptionally hard and doing a really good job at not only ensuring children have access to good-quality remote learning but also in providing on-site school places for those children that most need them.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently revealed his intention for pupils to start returning to the classroom from March 8 at the earliest. It is not yet clear whether it will be a phased return, or when all children will be back in school.

Some reports have suggested the school day could be lengthened to make up for lost time or terms could be extended with holiday made up later in the year.

The letter, sent last week and after the PM’s announcement, goes on to praise parents, carers and pupils for their homeschooling efforts.

It reads: “I recognise many of you are feeling the pressure of lockdown, which includes striking the balance of home-schooling, looking after younger children and/or remote working. I am really grateful for everything you are doing, for bearing with us and helping us all get through; we know it’s not easy and is harder the longer children and young people are educated remotely.”

Ms Moore says she recognises tmore work is being set which can create “additional pressure”. Signing off, she reassured parents and carers by saying: “Whilst it is important for children to keep engaged with learning, you are only expected to do your best and the most important thing at the moment is children are safe, loved and cared for.

“Please don’t let school work put any extra pressure on you when you are trying to do your jobs, earn a living and keep your children safe.”

The forum have set out a guide to ensure that those most in need of a place can access one

Jane Moore