Hundreds of teachers who are new in post, or working in pastoral or child protection roles, are to be offered support to manage the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland have partnered with social enterprise organisation KnowYouMore who will provide coaches for the new online one-to-one sessions. Sessions are already being offered to headteachers as part of a support package funded by the Scottish Government last September.
The new programme now includes support for more than 500 teachers in their first four years of post-probation to discuss any personal or professional pressures they are facing as a result of delivering remote learning.
Education Secretary John Swinney, said: “COVID-19 has placed unprecedented strain on school staff and none more so than those who have pastoral care and child protection responsibilities ensuring the emotional welfare of our children and young people as we recover from the pandemic.
“The teacher support package I announced last year will complement the existing professional training and support already taking place for staff in schools across Scotland. Teachers need to be part of a supportive online community and have the space to stop and think about issues that are causing concern.”
Gayle Gorman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Education Scotland Chief Executive, said: “Education Scotland is fully committed to ensuring the education workforce feel supported and I’m delighted this next phase of our coaching and mentoring offer is available more widely.
“We have found that it really benefits teachers to know there is someone with a listening ear who are there for them. Our 1:1 coaching and mentoring sessions for Headteachers have proved a really popular way of supporting their wellbeing and now the offer is also open to post probation teachers, teachers new to role and those with pastoral responsibilities. I would encourage more practitioners to sign up.”
Ken Muir, Chief Executive, of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, said: “GTC Scotland is pleased to be working with our partners in education to deliver this important coaching to support hard-pressed teachers who are doing all they can to maintain quality learning in challenging circumstances.
“In addition to this coaching, GTC Scotland itself has invested heavily in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of education professionals and will continue to do so throughout the pandemic.”
Now lockdown lessons are firmly underway again Barnardo’s is launching a website to help teachers support their pupils who may be experiencing mental health and wellbeing issues.
Called Barnardo’s Education Community (BEC) the site is aimed at teachers, lecturers and staff working in the education sector.
Its aim is to be a ‘one stop shop’ where educators can go for trauma-informed resources, support and advice about how to help children and young people cope with any issues they are experiencing.
Crucially there is also a selection of resources for education professionals with a focus on both their wellbeing and that of their department.
These will help them deal with the immense strain they are under in managing their own experiences, while also coping with the impact of secondary trauma through supporting children and young people.
Visitors to the site, which launches today (January 21), will find useful materials about how best to support pupils who are experiencing feelings of loss, grief and bereavement, including the impact of trauma, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding for the BEC came from a generous grant from the Westminster Foundation, which has made £12.5m of funding available since the start of the pandemic to charities and community organisations tackling the repercussions of coronavirus.
But the website will not stop when the lockdown restrictions are relaxed. Instead the content within BEC will be continuously evolving to meet the ever changing needs of children, young people and educators.
A key part of this evolution will be the ‘community of practice’ section of the site where visitors will be able to take part in facilitated and peer-led discussions about current and emerging topics.
These discussion forums will provide the opportunity for education professionals to discuss and share best practice at a nationwide level.
And people who participate in these discussions will also be helping shape the site and its content because the Barnardo’s team will be creating resources to help educators deal with these emerging issues.
Uniquely, on top of all this, BEC includes free access to video, webinar and audio training on the resources, as well in-person training where necessary.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “As a former teacher I know just how difficult it can be to support children who are struggling with challenges at home or a history of trauma.
“In the age of COVID this is so much harder, with many children falling behind in their learning during the lockdowns, facing anxiety and mental health problems, and worrying about their parents’ jobs or their grandparents’ health. On top of all this teachers are facing huge pressures personally and professionally.
“This is why I’m delighted to be launching Barnardo’s Education Community today, with vital health and wellbeing resources to support educators at this uniquely difficult time.
“I’d urge everyone to treat this as your community. Take part in online discussions with your peers and bookmark the page on your browser so it is always there when you need help.
“And if there are any resources you need but cannot see on there already then get in touch and we’ll work on creating them for you. The goal is for the site to be constantly evolving to meet your needs.”
The Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, who Chairs the Westminster Foundation, said: “We may not know for some time the true extent of anxiety and trauma that children are experiencing through the pandemic, but we do know that changes to education have placed teachers and families under immense strain as they try to support children adapt or come to terms with the negative consequences of Covid.
“We also know that lockdown learning has a greater impact on the more vulnerable children in society as they face the real possibility of poor mental health compounding their existing disadvantages.
“We shouldn’t assume that education professionals can simply react to this without any extra help, on top of the many existing challenges they face. I’m proud the Westminster Foundation’s support has helped create the Barnardo’s Education Community and hope it will become a vital resource to everyone in the education sector.”
Restrictions tightened due to spread of new variant of COVID-19.
Scotland will significantly tighten protections against Coronavirus (COVID-19) to prevent the spread of the new, highly contagious strain of the virus.
Following confirmation that the new variant of COVID-19 spreads substantially more quickly, the First Minister announced that Scotland needs to act now.
To keep people safe, the First Minister announced:
the planned easing of restrictions around Christmas will be limited to Christmas Day itself, and not the previous 5 day window that was planned
legal household limits will still apply – a maximum of 8 people from 3 households – however advice is to minimise the numbers. Where possible, people should celebrate the festive period at home in their own household and meet with others outdoors
other than for specific exemptions, travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK will not be legal
travel within Scotland will be allowed on Christmas Day
from Boxing Day, all of Scotland will have Level 4 restrictions applied, including the closure of non-essential retail and hospitality. The only exceptions will be Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and the other island communities where restrictions have been reduced in recent weeks, who will be placed in Level 3
from Boxing Day, in line with existing law, travel across local authority boundaries between areas in Level 3 or 4 will not be legal other than for specific exempt purposes
The First Minister also set out new plans for the return of schools in the New Year. Teachers will return to work as planned and children of key workers and the most vulnerable children, will return to schools as planned.
For the majority of pupils the holiday period will be extended until 11 January and learning will begin online from then until at least 18 January.
All these measures will be kept under regular review.
The First Minister said: “Last week it was confirmed that a new variant of the virus had been identified in the UK, and I advised Parliament that a small number of cases of it had already been identified in Scotland.
“While further analysis is required to establish this one way or another, we already have a concern that this strain may be driving what appears to be faster transmission in some hospitals and care homes.
“That’s why we have decided to act and to act firmly.
“Firstly, we are asking everyone to redouble your personal efforts in sticking to the rules and following FACTS.
“Secondly, we intend to maintain a strict travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK. This will remain in place throughout the festive period. We simply cannot risk more of this strain entering the country if we can possibly avoid it.
“Thirdly, we now intend to change the law to allow mixing indoors in a bubble on Christmas Day only. The household limits will still apply – a maximum of 8 people from 3 households – is the law. But the advice will be to minimise numbers as far as possible.
“My message is stay home, stay safe and enjoy Christmas. That is in your own interest and the interest of everyone you love.”
First Minister @NicolaSturgeon has announced Scotland will significantly tighten protections against Coronavirus to prevent the spread of the new, highly contagious strain of the virus.
Speaking about beyond Christmas, the First Minister said: “To limit, as far as we can, the risk of this strain spreading further than it has within Scotland, we intend to apply Level 4 measures to all of mainland Scotland for a period of three weeks from one minute after midnight on Boxing Day morning.
“The only exceptions will be Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and the other island communities where we have reduced restrictions in recent weeks, who will go into Level 3 but with strict restrictions on who can travel to and from those islands.
“The situation the new strain presents means that until we are sure it is firmly under control – until we are sure we are not facing the same situation as the south of England today faces, we must slightly change our plans for the way our schools work.
“Schools still open next week will close as planned – we are not changing that. They were then due to reopen from 5 January with all councils areas back by the 7.
“Instead of that, here is what we are going to do – for the children of key workers – such as nurses in our hospitals – schools will open and stay open as normal. They will also open as normal for the most vulnerable children.
“All teachers will also return to work as scheduled and planned. For the majority of pupils, however, the holidays are being extended until 11 January. Starting on that date, learning will be online until at least 18 January.
“After that, assuming we are confident we have the virus under control we will aim to reopen schools more fully but at least until then, schools will go online only other than for the children of key workers and the most vulnerable.”
Following the First Minister’s statement, confirming a three week Tier 4 lockdown in Scotland from Boxing Day, Rhea Wolfson of the GMB Scotland Women’s Campaigns Unit said:“The Scottish Government can’t wait until mid-January to roll out workplace testing for home carers – they need to find a way to bring this forward immediately.
“We can’t have 14,000 home carers in Scotland, supported only with PPE, working through a lockdown prompted by a more transmissible strain of COVID-19.
“Failure to act now to protect these key workers and their service users would be an exacerbation of the negligence they have already endured.”
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS welcomes the decision to delay the return of pupils after the Christmas break until January 11th and that for the vast majority of pupils for this return to be to an online platform, with only the children of key workers and vulnerable children being in school.
“With a large number of schools already closed for the break, this late decision will once again create planning challenges for teachers but schools are much better prepared for remote learning than was the case in March. Given that the EIS has been calling for a ‘firebreak’ around the Christmas break, we view this announcement as being the correct one.
“It would make sense for those schools which are still open to move immediately to remote platforms.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier given a statement at the coronavirus press conference:
Good afternoon, I am sorry to report that the situation has deteriorated since I last spoke to you three days ago.
Yesterday afternoon, I was briefed on the latest data showing the virus spreading more rapidly in London, the South East and the East of England than would be expected given the tough restrictions which are already in place.
I also received an explanation for why the virus is spreading more rapidly in these areas. It appears this spread is now being driven by the new variant of the virus, which we first learned about earlier this week.
Our advisory group on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats – NERVTAG – has spent the last few days analysing the new variant.
There is no evidence the variant causes more severe illness or higher mortality, but it does appear to be passed on significantly more easily.
NERVTAG’s early analysis suggests the new variant could increase R by 0.4 or greater. Although there is considerable uncertainty, it may be up to 70% more transmissible than the old variant.
This is early data. It is subject to review. It is the best we have at the moment, and we have to act on information as we have it because this is now spreading very fast.
The U.K. has by far the best genomic sequencing ability in the world, which means we are better able to identify new strains like this than any other country.
The Chief Medical Officer last night submitted our findings so far to the World Health Organisation and we will continue to be totally transparent with our global partners.
There is still much we don’t know. While we are fairly certain the variant is transmitted more quickly, there is no evidence to suggest that it is more lethal or causes more severe illness. Equally there is no evidence to suggest the vaccine will be any less effective against the new variant.
Our experts will continue their work to improve our understanding of the variant.
So we are learning more about this variant as we go.
But we know enough already to be sure that we must act now.
I met ministers on the Covid Operations Committee last night and again first thing this morning, and Cabinet met at lunchtime to agree the following actions.
First, we will introduce new restrictions in the most affected areas – specifically those parts of London, the South East and the East of England which are currently in tier 3.
These areas will enter a new tier 4, which will be broadly equivalent to the national restrictions which were in place in England in November.
That means:
Residents in those areas must stay at home, apart from limited exemptions set out in law. Non-essential retail, indoor gyms and leisure facilities, and personal care services must close.
People must work from home if they can, but may travel to work if this is not possible, for example in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
People should not enter or leave tier 4 areas, and tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home. Individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space.
Unlike the November national restrictions, communal worship can continue to take place in tier 4 areas.
These measures will take effect from tomorrow morning.
All tiers will continue to be regularly reviewed in line with the approach previously set out, with the next formal review point taking place on 30 December.
Second, we are issuing new advice on travel.
Although the new variant is concentrated in tier 4 areas, it is nonetheless present at lower levels around the country.
We are asking everyone, in all tiers, to stay local.
People should carefully consider whether they need to travel abroad and follow the rules in their tier.
Those in tier 4 areas will not be permitted to travel abroad apart from limited exceptions, such as for work purposes.
Third, we must, I am afraid, look again at Christmas.
As Prime Minister, it is my duty to take the difficult decisions, to do what is right to protect the people of this country.
Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned.
In England, those living in tier 4 areas should not mix with anyone outside their own household at Christmas, though support bubbles will remain in place for those at particular risk of loneliness or isolation.
Across the rest of the country, the Christmas rules allowing up to three households to meet will now be limited to Christmas Day only, rather than the five days as previously set out.
As before, there will be no relaxation on 31 December, so people must not break the rules at New Year.
I know how much emotion people invest in this time of year, and how important it is for grandparents to see their grandchildren, and for families to be together.
So I know how disappointing this will be, but we have said throughout this pandemic that we must and we will be guided by the science.
When the science changes, we must change our response.
When the virus changes its method of attack, we must change our method of defence.
As your Prime Minister, I sincerely believe there is no alternative open to me. Without action, the evidence suggests infections would soar, hospitals would become overwhelmed and many thousands more would lose their lives.
I want to stress we are not alone in this fight – many of our European friends and neighbours are being forced to take similar action.
We are working closely with the devolved administrations to protect people in every part of the UK.
Of course there is now hope – real hope – that we will soon be rid of this virus.
That prospect is growing with every day that passes and every vaccine dose administered.
The UK was the first country in the western world to start using a clinically approve vaccine.
So please, if the NHS contacts you then get your vaccine – and join the 350,000 people across the UK who have already had their first dose.
Yes, Christmas this year will be very different, but we must be realistic. We are sacrificing our chance to see loved ones this Christmas, so we have a better chance of protecting their lives so we can see them at future Christmases.
As sure as night follows day, we will beat back this virus.
Teachers’ union the EIS has announced that an increasing number of its local associations are now moving towards balloting members on disputes with local authorities over school COVID-19 safety.
At present, six EIS local associations are moving to ballot members with at least four others currently considering whether to take this step towards a formal dispute with employers.
The EIS had called for a move to teaching and learning via remote online platforms for the pre and post-Christmas period, in the interests of minimising infection risk and protecting the health and wellbeing of students, teachers and their families over the festive season.
Despite broad support from many parents, teachers and others this call was flatly rejected by the Scottish Government, which has pledged to keep school buildings open at all costs right up to Christmas.
Following this rejection by the Scottish Government, EIS local associations called on local authorities to utilise their devolved powers to move to remote learning platforms around the festive season.
Subsequently, these pleas have been rejected by local authorities, with many councils citing a recent letter from the Scottish Government which urged them not to utilise their devolved authority to move schools to remote learning.
Yesterday, the EIS also released its latest themed briefing, based on teacher comments in a recent national survey. The briefing highlights teachers’ views on the importance of moving to remote learning around the festive period, as a means to protect staff, students and their families.
The key issues highlighted include:
Teachers believe that moving to blended or remote learning would help reduce infection spread in the new year
Teachers are concerned about being able to safely mix with family during the holidays, without having the ability to isolate for 5 days beforehand
There are concerns that with schools remaining open full time, right up until the 23rd December in some areas, many school staff will have to work over the Christmas period to ensure the track and trace policies are enacted – a fact that was confirmed by the National Clinical Director earlier this week.
A small adjustment in the final few days of term would make an immeasurable difference to staff and pupil wellbeing.
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The Scottish Government and local authorities seem determined to keep schools physically open, at all costs, right up to Christmas.
“Scotland’s teachers are clear that this will present a very real risk to their health, their pupils’ health and the health of their families by increasing the risk of COVID-19 spreading through family festive gatherings. Making a very slight change to arrangements around the holiday period, by allowing teachers and students to work remotely from home for a few days, would significantly reduce the risk of pupils or staff taking the virus into their family groups in the festive period.”
Mr Flanagan continued: “It was extremely disappointing when the Scottish Government rejected calls from teachers, and many parents, for schools to move to remote learning to protect families over the festive season. It is quite incredible that the Scottish Government has then placed pressure on local authorities not to use their devolved authority over education to move schools to remote learning in the run up to Christmas.”
Mr Flanagan added: “The number of EIS local associations moving to consultative ballots, together with the number still considering this action, is a clear indicator of the strength of feeling amongst teachers.
“Scotland’s teachers see governments in other countries increasingly taking steps to close school buildings early and move to remote learning in order to protect families over Christmas – this raises the question of why the Scottish Government apparently values its teachers less than governments in England, or Wales, or Sweden or Germany value theirs.”
The briefing paper, published on Sunday, focuses on teacher comments on the value of moving to blended or remote learning.
One teacher said, “It was with disappointment that I heard that the Scottish Government chose not to allow schools to move to a blended model for the 21st and 22nd December and while I welcomed the relaxing of lockdown tiers over the Christmas period, in reality, for me this won’t change the fact that I shouldn’t visit with my 80 year-old mum and other family members who are in the vulnerable category for fear of taking the contacts of the many pupils I work with on a daily basis to them.”
Another teacher said: “I am physically and mentally exhausted at the moment and am looking forward to Christmas as a time to relax a little and recover from the stress. I am now faced with the choice, however, of seeing my family at Christmas and risking the possibility of carrying infection to them or of isolating and not seeing them. Every day I am sitting in a room with 31 upper school children and whilst measures are in place, they are at times impossible to maintain. Should I carry the virus to anyone let alone my elderly in-laws I would never be able to live with myself.”
Another teacher added: “Going to blended learning on the 18th would not have a massive impact on the education of the children … but it would have a huge impact on the mental wellbeing of staff who would be able to isolate, and then confidently visit with their bubble at some point over the holiday period.
“It would also be considered a gesture of goodwill in a season where it is supposed to be at its most prominent.”
The EIS is continuing to urge its members to share their experiences of working in schools during the pandemic and their views on keeping school buildings open around the festive period using the hashtag #NotAtAllCosts, tagging the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister in their posts.
Recently, the EIS also wrote to all Directors of Education and the Deputy First Minister, calling for an urgent rethink on their refusal to move to remote learning around the Christmas holiday period.
The letters highlight the health & safety implications of the decision and note that governments in other countries are increasingly taking the decision to close their school buildings early ahead of Christmas to protect students, staff and their families.
Public health advice is NOT to alter Christmas term date
Christmas and New Year school holiday dates will remain as planned.
The timing of school holidays, which vary around Scotland, was raised with Ministers in the Education Recovery Group, given many schools break up very close to Christmas and the potential for increased social interaction in households following the limited relaxation of rules between 23-27 December.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney said: “Being in school is in the best interests of children and our priority remains to ensure schools are safe, and open. I want to thank school leaders, teachers and school staff for their outstanding commitment to education that has enabled children and young people to learn safely in school since August.
“The advice I have received from public health officials, and the COVID-19 Sub-group on Education and Children’s Issues, is not to alter Christmas and New Year holiday dates.
“We also know vulnerable children may be at greater risk if they are out of school for an extended period, and I am mindful of the impact an extension to school holidays would have for working parents. For these reasons I do not see a clear rationale for changing term dates and disrupting children’s education.”
Teachers union EIS says the decision will anger many teachers – and some have turned their anger on their own trade union.
One said: “This is the most horrific insult to everything teachers have been doing this year! @EIS are you actually going to stand up for us and do anything about this? If not now, then what exactly is your purpose?
Another added: “What?!! Are you completely ignoring the fact most people return a week after everyone has been allowed to mix indoors? This is the most alarming part: how many pupils and teachers are going to have to isolate in January! When are you going to actually stand up for us!
A third said: “This is an absolute disgrace. I am so angry at the Scottish Government. It is a complete insult to all school staff who are exhausted and on their knees after a very difficult term in very uncertain times. EIS have to start doing something NOW!!
The EIS website is currently down.
Read the advice from COVID-19 Sub-group on Education and Children’s Issues.
More details about the COVID-19 Sub-group on Education and Children’s Issues, including a list of members, can be found here.
From this Monday (Nov 2nd), all teachers and school staff will be able to claim a 10% discount* on their shopping in Morrisons stores nationwide.
Lasting until after Christmas, the special discount is a thank you to half a million teachers** and additional school staff who are looking after the nation’s children and supporting them through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Primary, secondary, private and special educational school teachers can all claim the discount, as well as all teaching assistants, catering staff, dinner ladies, caretakers, cleaners and school office staff.
These groups will also be able to participate in a dedicated shopping hour alongside NHS workers from 6am-7am (Mon-Sat) before stores open to other customers.***
Morrisons also offers a 10% discount for NHS staff which was introduced in April.
From this Monday, all teachers and school staff will be able to claim a 10% discount on their shopping in Morrisons stores nationwide.
Lasting until after Christmas, the special discount is a thank you to the half a million teachers and additional school staff who are looking after the nation’s children and supporting them through the COVID-19 pandemic.
David Potts, Morrisons Chief Executive said:“Teachers and school staff are facing many challenges and the education of our children has never been more important. This discount is our way of saying thank you as they continue to care for and educate our kids.”
Teachers and school staff can claim the 10% discount on their groceries by presenting their school photo ID card at the till in any of Morrisons 498 stores from Monday 2 November.
*The 10% discount cannot be used with a purchase of alcohol, drugs, pharmaceutical products, infant milk or formula, tobacco and is not available online.
Pledge to recruit 433 more teachers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Six yeas ago today Scotland voted to stay in the UK. We must spend the next six years rebuilding Scotland’s education system, say the Scottish Conservatives.
They say they will hire 3000 new teachers over the next parliament to restore local schools to where they were before the SNP came to power.
Today, the Scottish Conservatives unveiled proposals to recruit 3,000 more teachers over the next Parliament.
The plans which would cost £550 million, would end teacher shortages that have arisen since the SNP came into power in 2007.
The paper also calls for a dedicated STEM teacher to be available in every Primary school, increased opportunities for career switchers to move into teaching and a new campaign to encourage the best and brightest to take up teaching.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“Education has to be a top priority in Scotland to invest in the future, however under this SNP Government education standards have slipped.
“Recruiting more teachers would allow each pupils to have a larger choice of subjects, as well as increased one on one learning.
“It is well established that smaller class sizes are better for student learning, so having a smaller teacher to pupil ratio can only be a good thing.
“Edinburgh and the Lothians have the fastest growing population in Scotland so it is important more teachers are recruited in advance, rather than after there is a shortage.”
The interim results of a survey indicate that the majority of teachers retain serious concerns over the re-opening of schools this week.
The EIS opened the survey on Tuesday afternoon and, by Thursday morning, more than 24,000 teachers had completed the survey. The overwhelming message from the interim results is that, while teachers want to see schools re-open, they remain unconvinced that sufficient measures have been put in place to ensure safety.
Key data from the interim survey results includes:
A total of 24,354 teachers completed the survey from its launch on Tuesday 4 August to the morning of Thursday 6 August.
64% of teachers support the decision to re-open schools, but only 18% express confidence that schools are currently safe – indicating that much more needs to be done to ensure safety.
A minority of teachers believe that sufficient safeguards have been put in place to support the safe re-opening of schools.
Just 3% of teachers are ‘very confident’ that there is sufficient evidence that COVID-19 is sufficiently under control to support a safe return to school
Only 23% of teachers are ‘confident or very confident’ that an established capacity to test, trace and isolate is in place to support a safe return, with 58% expressing a lack of confidence.
Under 26% of teachers are confident that sufficient operational changes – such as effective social distancing and enhanced hygiene routines – will be in place to support a safe return to school with 60% lacking confidence.
72% of teachers support testing for asymptomatic members of staff to help supress the spread of COVID
62% of teachers feel either ‘somewhat unsafe’ or ‘very unsafe’ about returning to school next week.
Commenting on the interim findings, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The interim results of this survey highlight that Scotland’s teachers continue to have serious questions over the re-opening of schools next week.”
“The fact that more than 24,000 teachers completed the survey in a little over a day illustrates the high degree of concern that remains over COVID-19 and schools. Teachers want to see schools re-opening, so that they can get back to working with pupils in the classroom environment – but they are very clear that this has to be done safely.”
“The initial indications from this major survey confirm that teachers believe that much more still needs to be done to ensure their safety, and the safety of pupils and others within the school, can be properly protected as schools re-open.
“The EIS will be sharing both the initial and final results of this survey with the Scottish Government and local authorities, and will be seeking urgent discussions on the mitigations that teachers still want to see – such as sufficient social distancing, testing for asymptomatic staff, and the use of face coverings where required to ensure safety.”
The EIS survey will remain open until today (Monday) and full results will be released thereafter.
Edinburgh’s children start the return to school from Wednesday this week.
‘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.
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.”
Today Education Secretary @JohnSwinney updated @ScotParl on the progress towards safely reopening schools in Scotland.
A final decision on schools 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 bodyCOSLA’S reaction to the Deputy First Minister’s Statement was one of disappointment, sayingit 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.”
