The Strategic Director of Social Care and Education will provide a verbal update in relation to the impact of the coronavirus on Leicester’s children services and schools.
Minutes:
The Strategic Director for Social Care and Education provided a verbal update in relation to the impact of the coronavirus on Leicester’s children services and schools.
The Government had recently announced all schools would be reopening on 8th March 2021, with secondary schools having a phased return from this date to allow for lateral flow testing to be offered to the children. To help this process, work would be carried out to promote and help the Covid-19 testing process in schools. In addition, areas of wearing face coverings were being considered for schools amongst other measures for parents.
The current rate of cases in Leicester was now reported to be five times higher than in September 2020 when children returned following the previous lockdown.
Following Members comments the below responses were provided:
· There were still concerns around the infection rate and whether children returning to school could worsen this, however, it was essential for children to be back in school. Schools were looking at reducing bubble sizes to reduce the transmission bridges. It was however reconfirmed that there had not seen big number of transmission cases in schools and the measures put in place by schools were able to contain reported cases.
· An increased amount of teaching staffing now met the new shielding requirements and as a result were not required to come back into school, which could mean less staff available on site. Shielding was due to end on 31 March.
· Some of the things in place to support schools and children on the concern of mental health included the Wellbeing Education Recovery Programme training which was offered to all schools and colleges in the City and had been supported by the educational psychology team and mental health teams. School nurses were also being re-introduced, including an online digital offer where students could get self-help and in addition many schools were looking at what their counselling offer would need to be going forward.
· Following a Member’s concern that children had been locked down a lot over the past year and needed outdoor sports, playschemes etc. It was responded that some outdoor sports clubs would be reopening nationally soon, and sports activities organised by schools could be restarted again, some of which could be funded via the ‘catch up’ fund.
· In the holiday a new programme called the Holiday Activity and Food programme which worked closely with a range of providers including sports clubs, adventure playgrounds and more to ensure there was an offer for children to be active and socialise.
· Schools and the Education Welfare Team would be and had been working closely with families who had concerns about sending their children back to school.
· Members were requested to update the Assistant City Mayor for Education on any queries being received from parents. These would be added to a crib sheet being put together, of which the information on schooling arrangements and guidance could then be circulated to Members and something for parents.
· It was reported that many staff were keen to be vaccinated however many were not necessarily in the age category being called for the vaccination. Following a discussion, Members were all in accordance to support the Department for Education (DfE) in their lobby that all teaching staff should have access to being vaccinated as a priority, regardless of age group.
AGREED:
1. That the Commission agree to support the DfE in that teaching staff should have access to being vaccinated as a priority, regardless of age group.