Tag: schools

Safety must be the priority as schools and colleges prepare to reopen, says teachers’ union

Robust safety measures, monitoring, testing and swift information sharing must all be in place in every school and college in Scotland in order to ensure that they can open their doors and keep them open whilst minimising the risk of a rise in COVID-19 transmission in the wider community, says teachers’ union NASUWT.

As schools and colleges prepare to reopen, the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is highlighting the need for robust systems of monitoring and enforcement to be in place in every local authority to ensure schools are taking all necessary steps to keep pupils and staff safe.

Teachers who are preparing for the full reopening of schools remain anxious that everything that can be done should be done to make sure that schools are Covid-safe.

The NASUWT is also calling for effective systems of information sharing from employers about local infection rates and clear protocols about the arrangements to be adopted by schools and colleges in the case of any local outbreaks or lockdowns.

While the Scottish Government says its test and protect system will be sufficient to protect school staff and pupils, the NASUWT is urging the introduction of regular, routine testing of all school staff and pupils in order to ensure cases are not missed, particularly given that children and young people are more likely to be asymptomatic for COVID-19

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said: “While the vast majority of schools and colleges are doing everything they can to minimise the risks to staff and pupils when they reopen, it will be important to ensure that where appropriate safety measures are not fully in place, plans to reopen any individual school are paused to enable the necessary safety measures to be put into place.

“Teachers and other staff working in schools want to be assured that when they return to the workplace they will be afforded the same level of protection as staff in other occupations and workplaces.

“The Government and employers need to demonstrate that schools are ready to reopen safely and must not leave the safety of children, teachers and the general public to chance.

“Regular inspections of schools and colleges and public health communications to all staff, parents and in the wider community will be vital to guard against the risk over time that fatigue or complacency over safety could result in new outbreaks of the virus.

“It is important to remember that we remain in a public health emergency and the Scottish Government and employers must do everything they can to ensure that reopening schools does not lead to an increase in cases of COVID-19.

“This is why routine, widespread, testing systems, coupled with effective information sharing measures are so important, along with the mitigation and safety measures schools and colleges are being asked to take.

“There is a fine balance involved in fully reopening schools and easing other lockdown measures whilst trying to keep the virus under control. Ministers and employers must ensure that health and safety remain the paramount priority and that schools proceed with caution to safeguard the health and safety of pupils and their staff.”

Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said: “School leaders and staff have been working phenomenally hard in very difficult and uncertain circumstances to ensure that they can safely reopen and many pupils and staff are looking forward to returning to school and college.

“However, many also remain anxious about their health and welfare and the provision of routine COVID-19 testing in schools, along with monitoring systems to ensure the safety of staff and pupils, would go a long way to providing extra reassurance that all steps which can be taken to keep schools safe environment are in place.

“Staff and parents also need to be clear about what safety provisions are in place in the event of any school-based or local outbreaks of COVID-19.”

Phased return for city pupils

Pupils will have a phased return to City of Edinburgh Council schools during the first week of the new term.

Staff will be in schools on Monday and Tuesday next week preparing to welcome pupils back from Wednesday 12 August. Pupils will be in for the rest of the week on a phased basis with all of them back 100% on Monday 17 August.

Arrangements for all primary, secondary and special schools are outlined in a letter from the Executive Director of Communities and Families, Alistair Gaw, that was issued to parents yesterday (Wednesday 5 August).

The letter is the latest in a series of updates for parents over the summer holidays which has included a series of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers and minutes from two meetings of the Consultative Committee With Parents including one on Monday night.

The latest ‘Delivery Plan’ outlining the steps that have been taken to ensure schools can reopen safely next week will be discussed by Councillors on the Policy and Sustainability Committee today.

The ‘Delivery Plan’ contains details on areas such as: hygiene, health and safety, transition support for children with Additional Support Needs, cleaning, ventilation, physical distancing measures, health and wellbeing, equity, raising attainment, school meals and breakfast/after school clubs.

It also includes arrangements for the detailed contingency plans the Council is putting in place if the virus is not suppressed and schools have to resort to 50% attendance with the blended learning model in place.

In addition funding announcements by the Scottish Government mean the Council will be able to recruit around 100 newly qualified teachers and purchase over 2,000 digital devices for those pupils most in need.

Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener, said: “One of the highest priorities for the Council is ensuring that pupils and staff return to the safest possible environment next week. We’re doing this by following the most up to date Government and Health Protection Scotland advice and putting in place strict hygiene measures to keep everyone safe.

“Having a phased reopening over the first three days ensures pupils will have time to familiarise themselves with the new arrangements in their schools. Our teaching staff and other Council teams have been working tirelessly in getting schools ready for reopening next week and I want to thank them for all their tireless efforts in achieving this.

“It is also reassuring to know that we have robust contingency plans should they be required. We really hope they aren’t needed but I’m confident these detailed plans demonstrate our commitment to ensuring the best teaching and learning for all pupils across the whole city.”

Cllr Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener, said: “I know parents will be relieved to finally see our young people returning to school next week. Everyone has been working really hard to achieve the goal of getting every child and young person back to school where they belong and a phased return means they will be able to get used to the new arrangements after such a long absence.

“There’s no doubt that these past five months have been the most challenging periods ever for the world of education. It’s put a huge strain on both our teaching staff and families struggling at home so an enormous amount of praise must go to everyone who has pulled together in these difficult times – most of all to the children and young people across the city who have shown such amazing resilience and courage in these difficult times.

“I also want to reassure parents that when learning and teaching starts again next Wednesday we are doing everything we can to make sure the principles of consistency and equity are at the heart of our plans.”

The Scottish Government guidance on preparing for the start of the new school term is available on their website.

Union raises ‘significant concerns’ over re-opening of schools

The Executive Committee of the EIS has raised significant concerns over guidelines for the re-opening of Scotland’s schools.

With schools set to re-open next week, the EIS has written to Deputy First Minister John Swinney calling for a number of actions to be taken, as a matter of urgency, to protect pupils, staff and the wider community from the risk of COVID-19 infection.

In the letter, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan says, “I write to you in order to raise some significant concerns regarding the now published Guidelines for the reopening of schools.

“You will recall that I raised at the CERG (COVID Education Recovery Group) meeting of July 24th,  the EIS view that whilst the Guidelines represented the generality of  where agreement was possible, they nonetheless fell short from an EIS perspective in significant areas.”

The letter goes on to outline EIS concerns in a number of areas, including physical distancing and class sizes, procedures for testing for COVID in schools, contradictions between procedures for schools and other settings such as public transport and shops, and concerns over staff members who have been shielding.

On the issue of physical distancing, the letter highlights that the Scottish Government guidance includes an, “Exhortation to move to smaller classes to support physical distancing where possible, without specification as to how that was to be done. The inherent contradiction in urging such a significant mitigation but failing completely to instruct its implementation is a major concern.”

The letter also calls for: “The strongest mitigations possible in place and erring on the side of caution particularly where there is conflicting or emerging evidence in relation to the behaviour of the virus and its capacity for transmission among and by children and young people. These should include specific physical distancing guidelines for pupils.”

On testing, the EIS letter says,  “We would urge that further consideration be given to a more proactive approach to supporting teacher and staff confidence that they are working in Covid-secure schools, by providing asymptomatic access to regular testing.”

And, on the issue of staff who have been shielding, the letter says, “Teachers who have been shielding for the past three or four months  under Scottish  Government direction, are now concerned that next week they could be back in front of a full class of pupils. This seems to be an enormous leap and one which does not sit well with the First Minister’s warning to those who had been shielding until August 1st, about continuing to be especially cautious.”

Calling for further action to ensure safety, the letter goes on to state, “The EIS welcomes the fact that Scotland appears to have successfully suppressed the virus at this point in time; however, we would not wish to see the reopening of schools act as a catalyst to a resurgence. That means we must ensure that school buildings are COVID-secure environments.

“Across the globe we are witnessing how quickly things can deteriorate. Teachers, pupils, and parents have every reason to be anxious about schools reopening. Addressing the concerns raised in this letter would go some way to offering reassurance.”

The EIS will open a new survey of its members in schools across Scotland to seek their views on these issues and on the steps that should be taken to ensure that schools are safe. The survey will run this week, and the results will inform further discussions with the Scottish Government and local authorities ahead of next week’s planned re-opening of schools.

A copy of the EIS letter to Mr Swinney is available for information.

Edinburgh’s pupils will return to school next week.

SCHOOLS GO BACK ON 11th AUGUST

‘Significant steps back to a less-restricted way of life’

Schools will return from 11th August, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed. Ms Sturgeon said she expects all pupils to be back in class full time from 18 August “at the very latest”.

Guidance issued to councils said children should ‘return to school as quickly and as safely as possible’.

Children will return to schools full-time from August 11, with quick access to testing for all those who are symptomatic, and a targeted, enhanced surveillance programme to highlight any impact on pupils and staff.

The First Minister has also announced the return to schools will be supported with an additional £30 million to recruit new teachers. This brings the total additional Scottish Government investment in the teaching profession to £75 million, enough to recruit up to 1,400 new teachers. This funding will help address learning loss and ensure much-needed resilience in our schools as we recover from coronavirus (COVID-19).

On top of £20 million of funding previously committed, a further £30 million will also be available as part of a £50 million education recovery fund for local authorities. This will support cleaning, facilities management, school transport and other practical issues that are vital in ensuring a safe return to school.

The First Minister told Parliament: “In many ways, Scotland is in a better position in relation to COVID than I would have dared hope a few weeks ago. But this position is fragile.

“If we are not careful now, then in two or three weeks we could easily be facing some of the issues here in Scotland that we are currently seeing around the world.

“The two changes I have announced – on schools and shielding – are very significant, and we need to see if there has been any impact from changes that have already taken place. It is important, in particular, that we allow the impact of re-opening our schools to be assessed before we proceed with further major changes.

“Caution remains essential. We want to open up society and the economy as soon as we safely can, but we do not want to have to re-impose restrictions. That start-stop pattern seen in other countries is potentially more harmful to the economy, and our health and wellbeing.

“Do not drop your guard now. Every single time one of us breaches the rules, we give the virus a chance to spread. If we allow complacency to creep in now, it will – without exaggeration – be deadly.”

The STUC has called for the Government and local authorities to heed the advice of teachers and the whole education workforce to ensure that schools are safe environments for pupils and staff.

STUC Deputy General Secretary Dave Moxham said: “Schools re-opening full-time is an enormous step which requires continuing suppression of the virus across communities, the full implementation of safety guidance and a proactive testing regime. We support the call of education unions to ensure that smaller class groupings are the norm with sufficient resources ploughed into schools to ensure this can happen.

“Despite the correct decision not to move into Phase 4, it is vital that we recognise that school re-opening coincides with a wider return to work under phase 3 and that pressures on school and public transport must be carefully monitored.

“Government and local authorities will need to listen carefully to staff across the whole school community as they strive to maintain a safe environment, allay the fears of pupils and parents and provide a positive education experience in these abnormal times.”

Councillor Stephen McCabe, COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson and Co-chair of the Education Recovery Group said:  “The guidance published today was a truly collaborative effort between local authorities, the Scottish Government, trade unions and parent organisations.

“The overriding priority for everyone involved is to ensure a safe return to education for our children and young people. At the same time, we have been extremely conscious of the impact that not being in school has on children, young people and families.

“The guidance is designed to give clear direction to all of those in local authorities preparing for the return to school. There are many issues to consider including arrangements for cleaning, school transport, testing and surveillance. Local authority staff have been working over the summer to make preparations not only for a full return but for the contingency of blended learning.

“Now that guidance has been finalised the hard work of school staff – cleaners, janitors, catering staff, teachers, support staff and youth workers –  will be focussed on making sure that our children and young people get the very best from their education in what will be a very different environment from what they were used to before the pandemic.”

Councillor Gail Macgregor COSLA Resources Spokesperson added:  “We welcome the additional funding that has been provided by the Scottish Government and this will allow local authorities to move forward on preparations for a full return to school in August.

“Safety is the key priority in returning and we have always been clear that any request for funding is on that basis. As we move through the school year additional costs are likely to be incurred by local authorities.

“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government as we see these costs emerge. It is our expectation that Scottish Government will provide additional funding to meet evidenced and reasonable costs.

“I would like to thank all council staff for the exceptional work they are doing as they continue their preparations for the safe return to school for our children and young people.”

Responding to the First Minister’s announcement that schools will return full time from August 11th, the EIS has warned against complacency and called for more to be done to ensure that schools are safe environments for pupils and staff.

Commenting following the announcement, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The decision of the Scottish Government to reopen schools with a full pupil return is predicated on the current successful suppression of the virus but as we are seeing in parts of Europe, that situation can change quite quickly.

“Even with full implementation of the guidelines and its mitigations, many teachers and parents will be understandably nervous about a return to the classroom.

“The EIS believes more could be done to reassure school communities around safety if smaller classes were introduced as the norm, employing the many unemployed teachers currently seeking work. The additional funding announced is welcome, therefore, but this needs to translate into smaller class grouping to support physical distancing amongst pupils.”

Mr Flanagan continued: “Smaller classes would also provide real extra support to pupils, who we know will have suffered emotionally as well as educationally as a result of lockdown. Reopening schools is only the start of education recovery.”

He went on: “The EIS will be insistent that the broader mitigations proposed are implemented rigorously, particularly physical distancing between staff and pupils, which will have significant pedagogical implications.”

“It certainly will not be ‘business as normal’. We will be seeking, also, further reassurances from the Scottish Government on proactive testing and monitoring of the school estate.”

Eileen Prior, Executive Director of Connect (formerly the Scottish Parent Teacher Council), said: “We know how hard it has been for many, many families, particularly for those facing multiple pressures. So this announcement will be the light at the end of the tunnel for the majority of parents.

“Our recent survey report, reflecting the views of nearly 8000 parents, showed that most parents want their children to get all the social and educational benefits of nursery and school. 

“However, parents also told us they are anxious: parents need clear information. We’re calling on the Scottish Government to help schools and parents with an education programme about COVID-19, to make sure we are all able to work together to support young people as they go back to school with a positive attitude and agreed, shared approaches to help our children and young people be healthy and happy.

“We’d like to see a communication plan in every school, so parents know what to expect in the event of a local lock down – how communication between school and home will take place, whether and how school work at home can happen.

“Putting together the plan must involve parents.'”

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said: “This is very welcome news for parents, teachers and most importantly school pupils, who will be able to return to school mid-August.

“What is vital now is that the return of schools is managed effectively and teachers are provided full support to implement protocols for reopening schools.

“Even though lockdown rules are easing, it is vital that we don’t become complacent, and continue to social distance wherever possible, to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading.”

More work, less teaching, hostile media and an unsupportive government – teachers report on a term like no other

‘Exhausted’ staff try to recover from summer term, but few anticipate opportunity to switch off and relax

Lockdown and home learning has presented huge challenges for parents and children, but how have teachers fared?

As the school holidays begin, they have been reflecting on the strangest term in their careers – and they say that it was a period of significantly increased workload, but less actual teaching.

And most believe there is little prospect of a stress-free summer break, with a number starting preparation for the next academic year as soon as schools have broken up. 

A survey of hundreds of primary school teachers by lesson resources experts PlanBee revealed that 60 percent of primary school teachers had seen a marked increase in their workload during the summer term, compared to previous years, as schools scrambled to introduce completely new ways of learning in a matter of just weeks.

This chimes with the report from the National Foundation for Education Research found that, overall, 90 per cent of parents whose children were not attending school in April 2020, reported receiving some school work to complete at home. At least 94 per cent of primary pupils received school work. Close to half of primary (42 per cent) received at least three offline lessons a day. 

For 40 percent of recipients to the PlanBee survey, lesson planning and preparation took the majority of the additional time, while for a quarter of respondents, it was communicating with parents.

But 32 percent said the time they spent on actual teaching had fallen, while 39 percent said they had done less marking and feedback. 

Over half report feeling well supported by their schools as they grappled with the demands of the summer term. On a scale of 1-5, with five being the highest rating, 51 percent gave their schools top marks, feeling ‘very supported’. 

But the media’s reporting of changes to schools, and the role of teachers, were an area of conflict. Nearly half (49 percent) of respondents gave journalists the lowest ranking on a scale of one to five. 

The government, too, could do better. Nearly 40 percent of primary school teachers gave ministers the lowest ranking, saying they didn’t feel supported. And only 2 percent gave the government top ranking, reporting that they felt ‘very supported’.

Are holidays a time of rest and recuperation for the teaching profession? Apparently not. Most described themselves as ‘exhausted’ – with one respondent saying it ‘was a different type of exhausted’ from other years.

Many reported being ‘relieved’ the term was over. Some 42 percent had already started preparation for next academic year during the summer term, predicting that lesson planning would occupy by far the biggest draw on their time. Over a quarter of respondents (27 percent) said there preparation for next term begin at the start of the holiday.

One respondent commented: ‘There is far too much prep and planning we need to recharge over the summer. Especially mentally.’

‘Part of me enjoys getting things ready for a new school year,’ said another, ‘but part of me resents the time I spend doing this that could be spent with my family.’

Another complained that it is ‘portrayed in the media that we have six weeks off!’.

This snapshot is backed by a survey from Education Support carried out during the summer term which found that as school closures, home teaching and learning continued, over half (59 per cent) of primary school teachers said they are feeling higher stress levels than usual.

Some 10 percent of PlanBee survey respondents say that they will have no opportunity at all to relax and switch off from school during the holidays while 27 percent rated their chances at two, on a one-to-five scale, with five being the best chance of putting school work behind them. Just 9 percent ranked their chances of switching off at five, the highest level.

Teacher back at school after covid-19 quarantine and lockdown, disinfecting desks at break time.

Catherine Lynch of PlanBee said: ‘The survey findings, which were gathered just as term was ending, provide a really interesting snapshot of the state of the profession – ‘exhausted’, in a word.

“The government made huge demands of teachers during lockdown and the results are clear to see. Teachers are used to being tired at the end of the school year,  but this year is clearly different in terms of what the term has taken out of them and their feelings of trepidation at the prospect of what the next one will bring.’

The Scottish Government is expected to confirm 11th August as the return to school date later today.

Get ready for school!

EXTRA STAFF AS SCHOOLS PREPARE TO RE-OPEN

Funding of £50 million will be ring-fenced for the recruitment of approximately 850 extra teachers and around 200 additional support staff as local authorities plan for the re-opening of schools.

Addressing Parliament, Education Secretary John Swinney also pledged that £20 million will be allocated to help councils with additional costs associated with new health protection measures, school transport, enhanced cleaning and other essential logistical issues.

A further £3 million will be invested in youth work to support education recovery. The funding breakdown is part of a £100 million package of support announced by Mr Swinney in June.

Clear guidance for schools and councils is being developed by the Education Recovery Group (ERG) to help them prepare for the start of the new term in August.

The Scottish Government will announce a final decision on the re-opening of schools on 30 July.

Mr Swinney said: “I want to express my appreciation to parents and carers for their support to young people, to the teaching and wider workforce across Scotland for their efforts to sustain education and to children and young people for their resilience during this difficult period. 

“All of the school workforce have a crucial role to play in our education recovery mission, and it is vital that they are supported to do so.

“The ring-fenced £50 million funding to recruit more teachers and support staff will enable schools to intensify support for children and young people as they return to full time face-to-face education and help to mitigate for learning loss. The final numbers will be dependent on the precise mix of staff recruited and the needs of children and young people.

“The £20 million funding recognises the extremely valuable work of our school cleaners, facilities management and school transport staff, who are essential to the successful delivery of education in Scotland and to whom I want to pay tribute today.

“I also mentioned in my statement on the 23 June that we would be seeking the assistance of the youth work sector in supporting those families and communities who need it most.

“The sector will receive £3 million of investment because it has continued to support and engage children and young people throughout the pandemic, including using digital technology and outreach work to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s mental health, learning and development.

“While this funding should provide local authorities with the assurance they require to progress plans immediately, we will continue to work with COSLA to understand the additional costs associated with the school re-opening guidance that each local authority is facing, and how these can be addressed alongside any loss of learning.

“We are currently developing guidance, with our partners in the ERG, on health mitigations and precautions that will be in place to allow schools to fully re-open in August and a final decision on school re-opening will be announced on 30 July.”

Responding to the Scottish Government’s funding of more teachers, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition said: “We welcome the recruitment of new teachers and additional support staff to help cope with the new demands of Coronavirus when children return to school next month.

“For those with additional support needs, the impact of returning to school will prove particularly disruptive but we need to go beyond the recruitment of additional support staff alone, which of course helps greatly. What is required is a tailored transition plan so those with ASN get the smoothest possible return to school.

“This requires every teacher or member of staff looking at the individual child, their circumstances and needs and making sure their return to school is as seamless as possible

“That individualised approach might mean going back to school early, having a little more time to figure out what classroom spaces look like or might be about teaching strategies and thinking about how to engage the children.”

The EIS has welcomed the Scottish Government’s confirmation of ring-fenced funding to support the recruitment of an additional 850 teachers across Scotland – but warned that more will be needed to support young people in education recovery following the COVID-19 shutdown.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The confirmation of ring-fenced funding to support the recruitment of an additional 850 teachers is a welcome step in the support required for educational recovery in schools across Scotland.

“It is essential that local authorities make use of this funding to recruit more teachers from all those currently available and seeking work – including newly qualified teachers, recently qualified teachers, and teachers on supply and temporary contracts. The EIS would urge the Scottish Government to clarify that this additional funding is open to employ qualified teachers from all of these categories.”

Mr Flanagan added: “The  EIS  is clear that more will be needed to ensure that all young people receive the support they require to recover from the impact of the school shutdown and, as well as urging the Scottish Government to consider additional funding, we would encourage local authorities to use some of the flexibility open to them around attainment challenge funding and the pre-allocated monies for the now suspended expansion of pre-5 entitlement to further boost school staffing.

“Being away from the school environment for such a prolonged period will have had a detrimental impact on many young people’s education. Supporting recovery from this traumatic experience must be the top priority for all in Scottish education.”

Mr Flanagan concluded: “Clearly, with less than 3 weeks until schools are set to re-open, it is vital that local authorities act quickly to ensure that the promised additional teachers and support staff are recruited prior to the start of term.

“It also remains essential that the process of re-opening schools is managed safely, with updated risk assessments to be carried out and all necessary mitigations – such as enhanced cleaning regimens, adequate ventilation and facilities for regular hand-washing – to be in place in all schools prior to them re-opening.”

Local government umbrella body COSLA’S reaction to the Deputy First Minister’s Statement was one of disappointment, saying it is a ‘roadblock to progress’.

Councillor Stephen McCabe and Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “Local Government’s number one priority is the safe return to education next month. We have sought to work closely with the Scottish Government, Trade Unions and parental organisations through the COVID-19 Education Recovery Group to agree an approach which meets the needs of all involved in supporting children and young people during the pandemic.

“Even with the welcome additional financial support from the Scottish Government we have received to date, councils are facing a budget gap of over £500m for 2020/21 before the additional costs of a safe return to school are taken into account.

“That is why the Deputy First Minister’s commitment of just £20m to support the return of schools this afternoon is a disappointment.  

“We are currently awaiting updated guidance as such it is not clear at this time what the additional costs for classroom cleaning, supporting vulnerable pupils, providing school meals, school transport and PPE are, or if vital resources can be found before schools return.  T

“Today’s announcement throws up a considerable roadblock on the progress towards schools re-opening safely, and presents significant additional financial risks for councils.

“Whilst we are pleased we are close to agreement with the Scottish Government on an additional £50m to be invested in teachers and classroom support, priority must also be given to  ensuring a safe, clean environment for all staff and pupils to work in.

“However, we remain willing to work with the Scottish Government on this issue to make sure that we protect and support the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s children and young people and our staff when they return to school.”

LOVE Gorgie Farm to provide outdoor learning spaces

LOVE Gorgie Farm (formerly Gorgie City Farm) has opened its facilities to schools across Edinburgh and the Lothians looking for outdoor spaces for educating pupils.

Operated by education and social care charity LOVE Learning, the urban farm will host a range of programmes for schools to embrace outdoor learning, reducing physical interactions, amid their return to full time classes on 12th August.

The outdoor services range from learning workshops featuring sport and other activities, to outdoor space for classrooms, as well as different environmental programmes within LOVE Learning’s Earth School that combine nature and educational practices.

The Earth School will help develop an informal learning setting for children of all ages by focusing on projects where natural spaces are used for pupils to learn through outdoor experiences.

Through their learning programmes, LOVE Learning aims to assist in these changing times at the same time as enhancing all-inclusive practices involving nature and expanding these to mainstream activities for pupils of all ages.

LOVE Learning’s portfolio of programmes has already been welcomed by councils as a suitable alternative for school-based teaching. It not only provides safe spaces where physical interaction is reduced, but also engages them in more outdoor learning activities.

The LOVE Gorgie Farm site will cater to requirements of all types of schools, such as primary and secondary schools as well as special schools.

As a Scottish Qualifications Authority accredited centre, LOVE Learning will also offer training opportunities for teachers and facilitators looking to become skilled and confident in leading children through their learning process in outdoor experiences.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning said: “Due to the effects of this pandemic we have seen a rise in the demand of outdoor learning spaces and services. LOVE Gorgie Farm will assist in the provision of spaces to make it easier for schools to cope with the challenges presented by Covid.

“Our Earth School aims to bring pupils from all ages closer to nature, encouraging new generations into seeking to care about all living beings. At the same time, our provision of learning that reduces physical interactions will ensure both teachers and pupils are in a safe environment.

“We will also train educators into being confident with outdoor learning techniques and help schools and teachers embrace alternative teaching styles through our accredited training hub”

For further information visit: www.lovegorgiefarm.org.uk or email gorgie@l-o-v-e.org.uk

National Autistic Society Scotland calls for transition plans to help autistic children return to school

The National Autistic Society Scotland is calling on schools to provide all autistic children with a personalised transition plan to help with their return to school in August.

The lock down has been extremely challenging for many families with autistic children. The huge change to routine and daily life together with strict restrictions resulting from the lockdown has led to distress for many autistic children putting families under huge pressure, often with very limited support.

According to the Scottish Government there are 6500 autistic children across Scotland. A third of autistic children also have a learning disability and, in many cases, also mental health difficulties.

Families have been under huge pressure juggling home schooling and working from home as well as supporting their autistic children. Some schools have provided specialist educational support throughout the lockdown while many others have not.

Families have reported that some home education packages received from schools have been either poor quality or generic and not differentiated for their child’s needs, so they have struggled to home school effectively and are worried that their children have fallen behind.

Similarly, many autistic children have now settled into a different routine, with limited social interaction outside of the family. They may well have been affected by the virus itself whether through illness of a parent or relative or even bereavement which can be all the more traumatic if that person also had a role in providing care and support.

All of these things combined mean that many autistic children will find returning to school in August difficult and in some cases even distressing, particularly as there are likely to be fundamental changes to daily school life.

NAS Scotland are therefore calling on schools to make sure that every autistic child has a personalised transition plan to aid their return to school in August.

This might include visits prior to school starting, more autism awareness among staff, safe spaces, accessible information and videos showing any changes to layouts or school rules as well as a principle contact for parents.

Nick Ward, Director of National Autistic Society Scotland said: “Many autistic children will have been out of school for over 4 months by the time the new term begins. Some have coped very well. Others however, have struggled under the strict restrictions and huge change to routine and we’ve heard from families under severe pressure with profound impacts on mental health and wellbeing.

“We know that change can be incredibly challenging for autistic people. It is important that transition back into school is handled sensitively and in a personalised way.

“Transitions are already hard for autistic children, often because of a lack of support or understanding about autism, and that’s why we’re calling on schools to make sure that each and every autistic child has a personalised plan with input from parents to make the transition as smooth as possible. We don’t feel that this is too much to ask in a system which should be focused on getting it right for every child.”

Suzanne who lives in Dunfermline said: “The lock down has been hugely challenging for us as a family. I’ve had to stop my Open University course together with my volunteering in order to care for and educate by two autistic children.

“Callum has quite significant needs and doesn’t understand the restrictions so it has been difficult to follow social distancing and I’m worried it will be very hard when he goes back to school as he has a compulsion to run up and touch or hug people.

“Emma is very different and is quite quiet. She has enjoyed lockdown to some extent, particularly with us being together as a family. She is however, very anxious about returning to school and has really struggled with sleep because she is so worried.

“Both my children have very different needs and so their transition back into school will need to be done with lots of understanding and support. The school have been quite helpful in my case and have offered to talk things through but I worry not everyone out there will get the same level of help.”

Swinney rethink: schools now to open full-time in August

Deputy First Minister John Swinney yesterday updated Parliament on plans to reopen schools:

When I spoke in this chamber on the 19th March, I said that the decision to close schools was one of the very toughest we had needed to take during this crisis. My engagement with teachers, children and parents since has only served to reinforce that view.

For that reason, while it has been critical to suppress the virus, we have been clear that these closures cannot go on for a minute longer than necessary.

We want Scotland’s children back in school full time as soon as possible and as soon as it is safe to do so.

That ambition is shared within the Education Recovery Group – our partnership with local government, unions representing teachers and other school staff and parent representatives.

Presiding Officer, today, I want to set out the government’s ambitions for when that full time return to school might be.

When I published the Strategic Framework from the Education Recovery Group report on 21 May, we had a clear expectation that the outlook on Coronavirus was bleak.

At that point, there were around 20,000 people in Scotland who could transmit the infection. On 21 May, 1,318 people were in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, including 51 in intensive care. Tragically, over the course of that week 230 people passed away from the virus.

And, not only was that position bleak, but, at that time, the majority view of our Scientific Advisers was that physical distancing would be necessary if schools were to open. Blended Learning was developed therefore to restore some form of face-to-face education against that outlook.

Working through the Education Recovery Group, we built a plan – a plan based on making the very best of the very difficult circumstances that we expected to face.

It was a contingency plan that was and is necessary.  And, for the last month councils and teachers have been working hard to enact that contingency.

Presiding Officer, even while we took this work forward, we continued to make the point that we did not want to see blended learning implemented for a moment longer than necessary.

Now, thankfully, the picture looks more positive. 

Since May, because of the efforts of our fellow citizens to stay at home, we have seen Scotland make significant progress.

There are now only around 2000 infectious people in Scotland – a reduction of around 90% since May. There has been a sustained downward trend in COVID-19 deaths. Intensive care cases now stand at a fraction of what they were.

If we stay on this trajectory – which cannot be taken for granted – by August the position will be even better. That is good news.

That means we are now able to update our planning assumptions.

If we stay on track, if we all continue to do what is right, and if we can further suppress this terrible virus, the Government believes that we should prepare for children to be able to return to school full time in August.

I must stress, this is the aim that the Government is now working towards. However, because it has to be achieved safely, it inevitably remains conditional and dependent upon ongoing scientific and health advice.

Presiding Officer, this will be part of a wider approach. If we continue to make progress at the rate we envisage, by August, it is possible – though of course by no means certain – that we may have successfully achieved, or be well on the way, to Phase 4 of the Scottish Government Routemap.

I have to be honest with Parliament and admit that when we prepared our plans back in May, I frankly could not have imagined that we would be where we are now.

It is this more positive outlook that allows the Scottish Government to make  this change of planning assumption for schools.

But it is a change born out of the hard work and sacrifice of people in every part of the country, sticking to the guidance, staying at home and suppressing this virus.  In particular, we should highlight the many people who as parents have supported their children while continuing to hold down jobs and caring commitments.

It is a change born of the actions of our citizens.

They delivered it.

Now it falls to the Scottish Government, our local government colleagues, teachers and school staff to build on it.

I want to commend the work of local authorities and school and early learning and childcare staff across Scotland for the way in which they have responded to this emergency. They have worked tirelessly to protect the interests of our children and young people – through our childcare hubs, ensuring ongoing provision of free school meals, delivering remote learning, and planning for the next term.

I know they will continue to rise to the challenge as we get ready for the next school year.

Presiding Officer, that is the good news. But I must emphasise the importance of Scotland staying on track if we are to make it a reality. And we must be clear that blended learning is a contingency that we may still need to enact.

While the outlook is more positive now, there are no certainties with this virus. If there is an increase in infection rates, if there are outbreaks that require action to control, then this contingency plan could still be required.

Equally, we still need to protect those in our society who may not be able to attend school for health reasons.  All the work that has gone in to preparing blended learning models for every locality across the country has been essential preparation.  It is vital that we have these models ready if we need them because we may need to turn to them.

We must continue to ensure the safety of pupils, teachers and staff by engaging in such contingency planning, and that is why Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education will continue with their scrutiny of the plans when the latest versions are submitted by local authorities on Wednesday.

Similarly, we can only move away from blended learning if we stay on track and command the confidence of parents, teachers and children on safety.

But there are important benefits of doing so.

A return to full time schooling would enhance the life chances of our children and young people and start to reverse any damaging impacts of recent months. We know from the Lockdown Lowdown, for example, that young people are concerned about school closures, and about their mental wellbeing.

If we are in a position to ease public health measures in early learning and childcare, particularly small group working, more children and families will be able to benefit from an expanded offer in the year ahead. In parallel, we continue to work in partnership with local authorities to agree a new timetable for delivery of the 1140 hours entitlement to all eligible children.

We are already seeing other countries begin to relax their physical distancing restrictions in schools, for younger children in particular, and others are starting to plan for a more ‘normal’ return after the summer break.

The First Minister confirmed on the 15th June that we will now review the scientific assumptions underpinning education recovery as part of our statutory three-weekly review process.  This will include, for example, reviewing our approach to physical distancing in schools and equivalent measures in early learning and childcare.

As part of that review process, I have established a new sub-group of the Covid19 Advisory Group to specialise on education and children’s issues.  We will get the first review of that material later this week. I would not want to pre-empt such advice, but in order for us to realise our aim to resume full-time schooling, I would expect that various conditions would need to be in place.

First: infection rates must be at a level that is sufficiently low to provide assurance that we can continue to control the virus.

Second: we must ensure that we make use of our full public health infrastructure locally and nationally to get early warning of issues and rapid local action including test and protect.

Third: there must be the right protective measures and risk assessments in place in schools to keep everyone with higher risk factors – including teachers and staff – safe.

In addition to these, the Covid-19 Advisory Group and the new sub-group have been asked for further advice on any tests or indicators which would show we were on track.

In all of this, I will work closely with the Education Recovery Group.  Given the change in our central planning assumption to work towards full-time return to schools in August, we will continue to work together over the summer. Local authorities will then communicate arrangements for the return to school with families in due course.

We will need all possible education resources at our disposal over the next year – to compensate for the loss of learning pupils have faced, as well as to help us should we need to switch to a blended model at any stage.

Even with a return to full time education, it is imperative that we increase levels of digital inclusion, which is why we have already committed to a huge digital boost through the investment of £30 million to provide laptops for disadvantaged children and young people. This will include £25 million of funding to enable a roll out of digital devices to school pupils to enable them to study online.

Initial estimates from local authorities are that this funding will be required to provide digital devices to around 70,000 pupils, with up to 40,000 connectivity solutions also needed, although these figures are the subject of ongoing work.

I can also announce today that we will be providing a further £100 million over the next two years to help support the return to school and help children recover any lost ground. This new funding will see us invest to tackle the impact of coronavirus in our schools and ensure that children get the support they need.

We will start with teacher recruitment. Many of this year’s probationer teachers have already secured teaching posts with local authorities. We will now work with local authorities with the objective of ensuring that every probationer teacher who has reached the standard for full registration is able to secure a teaching post for the next school year.

And, of course, we will still look to encourage retired teachers and those who are not currently teaching back into the profession wherever this proves necessary.

I have asked Education Scotland to expand their partnership offer with the ESgoil digital learning platform to develop a strong national e-learning provision. This represents an opportunity to enable all pupils to access high quality lessons – by qualified teachers trained in offering high quality online learning – across as broad a range of subjects and qualification levels as possible.

Finally, while we want to support the wellbeing of all our children and young people, we know lockdown has been particularly difficult for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Reducing the poverty related attainment gap is a defining mission for this government. We will therefore be working alongside partners to increase support to those families and communities who need it most. We will also seek the involvement of the Youth Work Sector in assisting us in this challenge.

Coronavirus has had a massive impact on our education system. It will take a collective endeavour to overcome that, but we have a duty to our children and young people to come together to do just that.

They have played their part in protecting this country from the worst of the pandemic, and now we must repay them that faith by serving their needs at this critical time too.

Education Leaders at the City of Edinburgh Council have welcomed the news that schools may be back full time in August with no physical distancing measures in place.

The Council will continue to make contingency arrangements and yesterday submitted its plans for blended learning to the Scottish Government.

Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener, said: “This is obviously welcome news and will come as a great relief to all parents and carers across the city. We will make sure we’re doing everything possible to ensure our schools are safe to reopen by following the most up to date Government and Health Protection Scotland advice.

“Obviously the major caveat to this announcement is that the suppression of Coronavirus has to stay on track. That’s why it’s so important we make sure we have robust plans for schools reopening in August with the blended model of learning that may be required.

“Our schools and other Council teams have been working tirelessly on these plans for many weeks and I want to thank them for all their efforts. We submitted our plans to the Scottish Government today and we will continue our dialogue with them over any additional funding that may still be required.

“I really hope that the virus continues to be suppressed and our contingency plans are not required. However, if they are needed, then I am confident the detailed plans we are proposing demonstrate our commitment to ensuring the best teaching and learning for all pupils across the whole city.”

Cllr Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener, said: “I know parents will be delighted to hear the announcement that schools should be planning for 100% reopening as the past few months have put a terrible strain on family life, with many juggling work commitments and home learning.

“Ultimately though, I’m pleased for the children and young people themselves, particularly those who have already faced challenges in their daily lives and to whom school is a haven. This has been a particularly difficult time for them, and that’s why it’s important that the wellbeing of all our children be placed at the heart of their education on their return.

“Of course we need to have robust contingency plans in place and our plan has always been never to compromise on the quality of learning and teaching and to deliver it in a safe and equitable way.

“Everyone will continue working to achieve the same goal of getting every child and young person back to school where they belong and our detailed preparations for anything other than a 100% school return will continue over the summer.

“We will of course continue to communicate with parents as we move forward together and keep them updated over the summer.”

Teaching union the EIS has noted the statement from the Deputy First Minister in the Scottish Parliament about potential changes to how schools may reopen in August.

Commenting on the statement, EIS General Secretary, Larry Flanagan said, “Clearly, if the suppression of the virus continues to be successful, public health guidance may change and this will impact on schools as well as every other aspect of society.

“It would be a grave mistake, however, to believe that the virus has gone away and therefore in the event of schools reopening more fully than currently planned, appropriate mitigations must be in place to protect staff and pupils and prevent flare-ups either in terms of localised resurgence in infection or even a full second wave.

“In terms of schools, this means looking at measures already being used elsewhere such as mandatory face coverings, protective perspex shields, proactive testing of teachers and an appropriate level of physical distancing between pupils and most certainly between pupils and staff, alongside continued protections for vulnerable groups. The EIS would expect these issues to be agreed within CERG before schools could reopen more fully.

“A great deal of work at school level has already gone into planning for a blended learning model from August 11th, so any change to that will require time to adjust plans and conduct revised risk assessments. Again, this will need to be subject to discussion and agreement.

“Everyone wishes to see schools operate as normal, but this should be done in a way which is demonstrably safe for students and staff, which doesn’t undermine public health messages, and which is done with the interest of school communities being first and foremost and not political expediency.”

The Scottish Tories are taking the credit for forcing this ‘screeching U turn’.

They proclaimed on Twitter: “Our campaign to open our schools has forced the SNP government into a screeching u-turn on its plans for part-time schooling. The SNP must now deliver on its new found promise of full time schooling by August.’

UNISON’s Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby said: “This is a significant about turn which, given the lack of scientific evidence available at this stage, seems to be driven more by politics than by safety.

“The safety of staff and pupils must be paramount and any return to school must be led by the scientific evidence at that time and be dependent on crucial risk assessments to ensure everyone’s safety.

“Education budgets were already squeezed before the pandemic hit. While the Scottish Government’s pledge of £100m over the next two years to support children with their lost learning is to be welcomed, schools also face increased practical costs to implement the required safety measures.

“It is vital the Scottish Government steps up and provides local authorities with the additional funding urgently needed to ensure that schools can open safely whenever science shows the time is right.”

 

 

Pupils being driven to school at the highest recorded levels

Edinburgh: Cycling at highest recorded levels (was 4.5% in 2010, is 7.0% in 2019). Has more than doubled since the first survey in 2008, in which it was 3.3%

The percentage of pupils travelling to school by car reached its highest ever recorded level in 2019, according to new data released by Sustrans Scotland.

More than a quarter of pupils said they used private motorised transport to get to school each day, with 23.8% reporting they arrived by car – the highest level since the survey began in 2008.

And, despite remaining the most frequently reported mode of travel to school in Scotland, active travel fell to its lowest recorded level over the same period. Of the 47.8% of pupils who reported travelling actively to school, 41.0% walked, 4.1% cycled and 2.7% scootered or skated.

Cycling to school is at its highest recorded level, whereas walking to school is at its lowest recorded level.

The findings form part of the annual Hands Up Scotland Survey, an official statistic in Scotland. Funded by Transport Scotland, the survey was carried out in September 2019 by Sustrans Scotland in partnership with all 32 Scottish local authorities. 78.9% of all state schools in Scotland (excluding nurseries) took part in this year’s survey.

Bus use also continues to decline from 18.2% in 2010 to the lowest recorded level of 16.0% in 2019, whilst the percentage of pupils travelling to school by park and stride (driven part of the way and walk the rest) increased to a high of 10.2%.

The findings also reveal a difference in active travel between independent and state schools. 44.5% of pupils from independent schools are driven to school whereas 23.6% of state school pupils are driven.

Commenting on the findings Sustrans Scotland’s National Director John Lauder said: “We want to thank all the schools who took part in the 2019 Hands Up Scotland Survey.

“The report is an incredibly useful indicator of trends in how children travel to school. Helping schools, local authorities and partners identify what needs to be improved to help more children travel actively every day.

“What we have seen during lockdown, with fewer cars on the road, is that people will change their behaviour if they feel their streets are safer.

“Travel patterns will have inevitably changed as a result of lockdown. It is important we make it easier and safer for children, parents and teachers to travel in an active and sustainable way.

“Our streets cannot afford more congestion and air pollution and our children cannot afford more inactivity after months of homeschooling. Let’s bring back something better.

“We need to make it easier and safer for children, parents and teachers to travel in an active and sustainable way, once schools re-open in August.

“Only then will we be able to ensure that walking, cycling and scooting is seen as a viable alternative to the private car.”