Oral Report of the Cabinet Member for Learning and Employability
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed the newly appointed Cabinet Member for Education and representatives of Staffordshire Headteachers: Ms Claire Evans, Executive Headteacher (The Mease Federation St Andrew's CofE (C) Primary School & Mary Howard CofE (VC) Primary School); Mr Chris Best, Executive Headteacher (The Meadows Special School & Springfield Special School); and, Mr Alun Harding, Executive Headteacher (Codsall High School, Perton Middle School & Bilbrook Middle School), who shared their experiences of the challenges faced during the Covid 19 crisis and how these had been addressed.
The Cabinet Member shared with the Select Committee his pride in the way Staffordshire schools had risen to the challenges presented by the pandemic. Almost all schools had remained open throughout, including bank holidays, half term and Easter breaks. There had been over 200 pieces of new guidance and/or legislation, all of which had been taken on board. An Education Reference Group had been established to provide a forum for discussion around the new guidance and approaches to the issues faced. Select Committee Members heard details of the level of commitment shown by schools in supporting the most vulnerable, in providing continued learning for those not able to attend school and in working towards opening for the wider year groups.
The Select Committee heard from headteacher representative Mr Alun Harding about the initial shock of the impact of Covid 19 and understanding of the issues faced, the online learning resources for children and the effective safeguarding measures established. This was swiftly followed by adapting the model as new guidance was developed and more children came back into school. They had developed a blended learning approach, a mix of on-line and app learning, physical resource packs sent home and pastoral care by staff to ensure pupils were contacted weekly. Contact and engagement had been monitored, with form teachers contacting those pupils where gaps in engagement occurred. The expectation was that there would be considerable anxiety around returning in September, particularly around the logistics of large numbers of children moving around the school, specifically when considering the buildings layout. A further concern was around pupils who have had little routine or structure over the pandemic months and their necessary adjustment.
Ms Claire Evans told members that she had combined those pupils entitled to attend the two primary schools within her federation and run out of one school during lockdown. She felt there had been some positives from the experience, including:
· natural team building for staff, with staff pulling together to address the challenges;
· putting the school at the heart of the community again;
· more flexibility with the curriculum, developing a curriculum which focused on positive mental health and providing for their children’s needs;
· re-establishing good home/school relationships;
· a successful phased return for children of every year group;
· although there were restrictions on classroom layout, pupils had responded well and enjoyed working in their own space;
· children had reacted well, developing skills for the future of adaptability and resilience; and
· improved social work links.
Less positive had been the amount of different guidance, which at times had been overwhelming. The free school meals (FSM) voucher system had also presented challenges, with difficulties in accessing these.
Mr Chris Best told members that the pace at which things happened had been very challenging. Guidance for special schools had often been vague, with each special school developing their response in slightly different ways but with similar moral purposes. Consideration had to be given to what was a “vulnerable” child in a special school context. In Mr Best’s schools all children were entitled to attend as all pupils were considered vulnerable. A particular challenge for special schools was the geographical area from which the pupils travelled, with pupils from Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent attending the Meadows & Springfield Special Schools. The impact of local outbreaks on the school was therefore difficult to manage, as was the impact on the “bubble” approach to pupil attendance. Pupils and their families had been brilliant throughout the crisis, appreciating the difficulties faced and supporting decisions made, with effective communication being at the heart of this.
Members noted that, whilst some distance learning may remain in future, interaction with the pupils and judging their engagement and the way they accessed learning was more effective in a classroom setting. School environments also enabled wider work to help develop more rounded individuals. Health and wellbeing of pupils was also better addressed in the school.
Difficulties for some families in accessing technology was discussed. In some cases this was poorer families not having access to technology, but included families with parents working from home so all family members needed to use the same IT equipment. Broadband issues were also faced in more rural areas creating an inequality in accessing education on-line.
The term “social distancing” was seen as unhelpful, especially for primary aged pupils. The term “physical distancing” was more appropriate, as this explained to children the need to keep distance whilst not suggesting they should avoid being sociable.
Members noted that schools and teaching staff had been brilliant throughout the pandemic, as had the wider school staff and governors. They shared concerns over the impact on school budgets, highlighting the teachers’ pay rise and whether this would need to be found from existing budgets. The Cabinet Member advised that further information was needed before the budget implications were clear.
School transport concerns were shared, specifically how this would look from September. Parents were urged to plan transport early in preparation for the September return. The Cabinet Member said that they were working with schools to produce school transport action plans. All routes would be running for those entitled to school transport, with pupils asked to wear face coverings, being loaded and unloaded according to distance, encouraged to use the same seat and with good vehicle ventilation in place. Vacant seats would not be sold to non-entitled pupils to allow for physical distancing and revised operational guidance had been produced. An additional £1m had been provided to help support this transport.
100% of special school pupils attending Mr Best’s schools relied on school transport. The transport mix of pupils was different to the required bubble pupil mix within the school. This presented challenges to the “bubble” concept but there was a balance of risk to be considered, with sensible measures in place to overcome these issues as far as possible.
Some secondary schools were able to provide some transport themselves through their minibus use. Logistical planning was necessary, using staggered start and finish times to allow for appropriate cleaning. It was anticipated that this service would adapt and evolve as necessary once the term had started.
Most of the enrichment work provided by schools through, for example, school trips and visits, had necessarily been cancelled. Members asked when this work was likely to restart. Schools were focused on getting all children back into school, the new logistics of this within structure, planning and organisation, alongside addressing the needs of the returning pupils, their anxieties, educational gaps and lockdown lack of structured learning.
Whilst there was anxiety amongst all year groups about the learning missed, this was exacerbated in years 10 and 12, the pre-GCSE and pre-A Level year groups. Examination boards had already indicated that there would be adjustments to the exam specifications, particularly around practical work. There would be a need for continued bended learning to try and help address gaps, with examination groups prioritised initially, and this work filtering down through the other year groups.
Within primary, work at home appeared to be covered in reading and mental maths, but gaps were seen in writing. Mr Best informed the Select Committee that catch-up was what special schools were all about. However, his greater concern was around the anxiety levels and the need to rebuild trust and relationships.
The Select Committee, Chairman and Cabinet Members all thanked the headteachers for their attendance at this meeting and sharing their views on work throughout the pandemic. They also wished to place on record their gratitude for the work of all schools during this crisis, exposing themselves to risk, their flexibility in accommodating shift in styles and adaptability in addressing the new guidance, noting that Staffordshire schools were in the top percentage nationally for remaining open and returning pupils. They thanked everyone from across the school community for the excellent job done in responding to the crisis and in the work they were undertaking to rebuild schools’ futures in September.
RESOLVED – That Staffordshire Schools be congratulated for the excellent work undertaken throughout the Covid 19 crisis, and their continued work in planning for school re-opening in September be noted with gratitude.