Coronavirus: Some Peterborough schools will not open on June 1 due to safety concerns

Some schools in Peterborough will not open on June 1 in order to ensure the safety of pupils.
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Head of education at Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, Jonathan Lewis, insisted that the authority will “only encourage pupils to return when the scientific evidence is clear that is safe to do so”.

He added: “Some (headteachers) will be able to take pupils from June 1, but some will not. I can’t ask them all to stick to the same timeline – it simply isn’t feasible nor safe.”

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The Government has set out plans for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils to return full-time from the start of next month, while secondary schools will also work with Year 10 and Year 12 pupils to prepare them for exams next year. Special schools will also begin to welcome back more pupils.

Jonathan LewisJonathan Lewis
Jonathan Lewis

However, the timeframe for re-opening has sparked a fierce national debate over whether it is safe for young children to return to the classroom in ‘bubbles’ of up to 15 due to a lack of social distancing.

The National Education Union has issued a ‘checklist’ which it says must be met before it is safe for schools to fully re-open.

However, the chief executives of two multi-academy trusts which run primary schools in Peterborough said yesterday that “the impact of lost learning could be irreparable” if pupils do not return to the classroom soon.

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Nick Hudson, chief executive of the Ormiston Academies Trust, and Adrian Ball, chief executive of the Ely Multi-Academy Trust, wrote in a letter to The Times alongside 21 other academy trust chief executives: “For any child, prolonged absence from school is concerning. For disadvantaged pupils, it is calamitous.”

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Schools have kept their doors open during the coronavirus pandemic, but only for vulnerable children and children of key workers.

Outlining the concerns which have been raised over the June 1 timetable, the city council stated: “Schools have said it will be difficult to maintain the two-metre social distance guidelines at all times, particularly with very young children, leading to problems with the number of children allowed on-site.

“There are also concerns about staff and children who fall into the very vulnerable ‘shielded’ groups.”

The council said it has been working with schools to create “bespoke plans specific to each one and their circumstance, which include revised cleaning regimes, sourcing appropriate PPE and allowing for phased re-openings”.

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Parents who refuse to send their children back to school will not be fined, it added.

The final decision on whether to re-open schools on June 1 is the responsibility of headteachers and their governing bodies.

However, some councils, including Liverpool, have said schools in their areas will not meet the Government’s timetable.

Mr Lewis, service director for education at Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, said: “While there is no denying myself and all the headteachers I speak to want to see our pupils back and learning in our schools, we will only encourage pupils to return when the scientific evidence is clear that is safe to do so.

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“Our headteachers have been working tirelessly to consider different models of phased re-opening long before the Government made any announcements. Some will be able to take pupils from June 1, but some will not. I can’t ask them all to stick to the same timeline – it simply isn’t feasible nor safe.

“Our parents have been doing an incredible job educating their children at home, and I cannot thank them enough. I know this is a concerning and uncertain time, but I want to reassure them that our schools are putting pupils first and doing the right thing. They will update parents directly on their plans.”

The council said clarification is also being sought from the Government about the extension of free school meals for eligible children whether in or out of school.

Cllr Lynne Ayres, Peterborough City Council cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Our parents have been incredible during this time, and I would ask for their continued support as we put our plans in place to ensure children can return to learning in a considered, well-structured, and ultimately safe manner.”

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Cllr Simon Bywater, Cambridgeshire County Council chairman of the Children and Young People’s Committee, said: “Education is critical to the development of our children and young adults, to help them learn, thrive and do well in later life, but we will not cut corners and ask anyone to return to school where is not safe to do so.

“As a parent myself, I appreciate how much debate and confusion the situation is causing, but I have full confidence in how this is being managed at a local level by my education and school colleagues.”

In Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, schools which have remained continuously open since February for vulnerable children and children of key workers may close to all pupils for next week’s half term holiday – which includes Bank Holiday Monday - to allow staff more time to plan for a phased return, including adapting their buildings to accommodate returning pupils.

Nursery and early years settings are also being encouraged to re-open from June 1 and have been asked to prioritise places for three and four year olds – along with vulnerable children and those of key workers.