Harrow Council defying Gavin Williamson

[mrshoho]

The council have written to all primary schools advising to move to online from next week. I expect other borough to do similar.

twitter.com/NEUnion/status/1345049833950818304?s=19
Interesting from the National Education Union.
Hopefully more LEAs follow suit.

I’ll be pretty annoyed if my DC’s (independent), Greenwich borough school decide to close, when they are able to remain open. All children and staff have to be tested next week before going back and bring their results into school. The school has set up a parent volunteer team to run the on site testing. It’s as safe as it can be and my DC need to be back in school.

Good on them, and more should follow suit. The DFE need to be held to account for their poor decision making

@ofwarren

https://twitter.com/NEUnion/status/1345049833950818304?s=19 Interesting from the National Education Union. Hopefully more LEAs follow suit.

What does this mean? Can they ask their members to strike and so close schools? Does anyone know?

@edwinbear

I’ll be pretty annoyed if my DC’s (independent), Greenwich borough school decide to close, when they are able to remain open. All children and staff have to be tested next week before going back and bring their results into school. The school has set up a parent volunteer team to run the on site testing. It’s as safe as it can be and my DC need to be back in school.

With Harrow council, I understand the final decision rests with the head teacher of each school. The council are advising online but I assume independent schools can make up their own mind.

Haringey councillors have said that they're asked the govt for transparency around the rationale of deciding why primaries in Haringey are safe to open while those with lower rates and with less rapidly climbing rates aren't permitted to.

They've advised schools that they will support them if they decide not to open.

@roses2

My children go to school in Camden. Two days ago they sent a text to confirm Camden were not on the list of schools to close and they will open as usual. Today they sent a text advising they have decided to close and move to online learning. I am pretty annoyed they are not following government guidlines and closing of their own will (state school).

Maybe they know they can't open due to staff shortages?

What does this mean? Can they ask their members to strike and so close schools? Does anyone know?

So far, the NEU line has been that it takes 5 weeks to organise a strike, so striking is not reactive enough to the situation.

They are planning to share advice for their members on Sunday, but I doubt they will be able to force school closures.

@Itisasecret

I am glad in a way. I see this as them protecting the provisions for KW and V children. Off staff are off sick or isolating there is no provision. That would be disastrous. Schools 100% need to be able to give that provision. It is really worrying me how many KW and V will be out of school because of reckless decisions. He needs to go.

Yes this is why. We need key workers at their jobs, especially frontline NHS and there is too much risk. It was the case in Hull a while ago that key workers were not able to go to work because of the numbers of schools closed.

Government u turn www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/01/all-primary-schools-in-london-to-remain-closed-after-u-turn?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR1ugu6H5YBBXil8XnZ0179PkVl7RU_Now0Oy6xs1HsXNxRdujGiPHUzEwQ

[quote Lifeispassingby]Government u turn www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/01/all-primary-schools-in-london-to-remain-closed-after-u-turn?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR1ugu6H5YBBXil8XnZ0179PkVl7RU_Now0Oy6xs1HsXNxRdujGiPHUzEwQ[/quote]
I suspect they will now have to publish what rates put you in ‘Tier 5’ or 4 plus or whatever you want to call it to trigger the contingency plans and other areas will follow.

Even in areas up north which the government like to ignore!

[quote Lifeispassingby]Government u turn www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/01/all-primary-schools-in-london-to-remain-closed-after-u-turn?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR1ugu6H5YBBXil8XnZ0179PkVl7RU_Now0Oy6xs1HsXNxRdujGiPHUzEwQ[/quote]
Oh wow. All change again.

Sorry @edwinbear I'm not sure what that means for your school now as it is now a dfe directive.

Surely if they close London primaries they can’t open them in other parts of the U.K. with similar rates?

@JacobReesMogadishu

Surely if they close London primaries they can’t open them in other parts of the U.K. with similar rates?

I agree. Our rate was 422 on 19th so exactly two weeks ago. It is now 842 and we had tier 4 restrictions so no Christmas gatherings. It would be madness to reopen schools.

I think that will be the next set of challenges to the govt.

London boroughs asked the govt to be transparent about their rationale for which borough schools to close and ask to open and said that they'd back schools which chose not to open.

If northern LAs do the same, it's likely to have the same outcome as there clearly wasn't any coherent rationale.

If it doesn’t make sense for neighbouring boroughs to have different rules then surely it has to be the same for areas within counties. In Kent for example some areas have schools closed and some don’t. There is a town 5 miles from the town where I live and the children live in one and go to school in the other, one area has schools closed and one area doesn’t, some families have siblings in one school that’s closed and one that’s not- it’s madness.

It doesn't make sense I agree. Logically I think if the government are using this tier system then schools should be treated the same.

I did a between-the-lines reading of the news coverage on this one, and I think the 9 council letter must have been the polite fluffy version of

'Show us the medical advice that explains why these boroughs are safe to open when their neighbours are not, or we're closing. If you say you'll prosecute for closures outside scope of framework, we say, great bring it on and we'll see you in court'

If the unions simply ask members to work to rule then this would be enough to close some schools. So many schools only function due to the goodwill of teachers and other staff going behind their contractual obligations. At my school teachers are cleaning and doing lunch serving and supervision duties. Instead we could leave school site completely for our lunch break as it’s not part of our paid contracted time. We always do first aid but this is voluntary. We have been losing or moving our PPA due to staffing problems with covid but we could refuse to move or lose this protected time. If we work to rule then we would refuse to do these things and our school’s risk assessment would fall apart. Also health and safety legislation protects employees who refuse to work where there is a health and safety concern not addressed by the employer - no need for a strike vote. I am not advocating for these things but I can see that the union has options beyond trying to organise unpopular with the public and unpaid for staff strike action. It’s much harder for the public to justify being angry with teachers who are simply fulfilling their contractual obligations but no extras.

@Sparkles715

If the unions simply ask members to work to rule then this would be enough to close some schools. So many schools only function due to the goodwill of teachers and other staff going behind their contractual obligations. At my school teachers are cleaning and doing lunch serving and supervision duties. Instead we could leave school site completely for our lunch break as it’s not part of our paid contracted time. We always do first aid but this is voluntary. We have been losing or moving our PPA due to staffing problems with covid but we could refuse to move or lose this protected time. If we work to rule then we would refuse to do these things and our school’s risk assessment would fall apart. Also health and safety legislation protects employees who refuse to work where there is a health and safety concern not addressed by the employer - no need for a strike vote. I am not advocating for these things but I can see that the union has options beyond trying to organise unpopular with the public and unpaid for staff strike action. It’s much harder for the public to justify being angry with teachers who are simply fulfilling their contractual obligations but no extras.

Yes-our teachers are all cleaning at lunchtimes as we have so many support staff out shielding. They are all in higher risk groups. If teachers work to rule, I think the schools will quickly collapse. Any wrap around care will also be out.

Head teacher union seem to be anticipating section 44 refusals to work
www.naht.org.uk/news-and-opinion/news/leadership-news/update-regarding-start-of-term-sent-to-members-on-2-jan-2021/?fbclid=IwAR3WFugSo-KsSToWAvbteMs8HspeXZTMBd9VaiOlAVxOeL0FM1wDRzqbviA

Thanks Sparkles. There was always going to be a last straw and between the mass testing expected and new strain circulating I think the time is now.