To receive an update on the reopening of schools.

The committee considered a report by the Assistant Director Education, Development and Skills (ADEDS) providing an update on the operation of schools during the lockdown and their reopening. The ADEDS introduced the report and raised the points below:

·         There was some doubt nationally about attendance and the report provided data concerning attendance at Herefordshire schools and the support in place for those not attending was also covered. The attendance data ended on 1 July but attendance increased throughout July and 24% attendance rates were reached across special, primary and secondary schools;

·         Herefordshire had the highest level of attendance in the west midlands with 5,500 children attending towards the end of the term which reflects year groups that government asked to return. A lot of schools took the opportunity to attempt to bring all pupils back into school before the end of the school term.

·         It was acknowledged that from the data there had been two-third of pupils who were not attending and support for those pupils came in a range of ways including online resources provided to schools including free software licenses. Some schools were already familiar with the online resources and there had been outstanding performance in some areas but use across the county had been variable.

·         Some schools made home visits and undertook virtual contact via video conferencing, phone and social media.

·         During the lockdown schools were having to constantly respond to updated and changing government guidance.

·         Guidance had been issued to families as to how to support children at home but it was acknowledged that it would have been a challenge for parents and carers who were working from home

·         Guidance had been issued to schools on the range of facilities for remote learning and the offer they could make available.

·         As the lockdown endured it was acknowledged that support became more variable. As the lockdown could result in children not attending schools for up to 6 months arrangements would be strengthened for the start of the September term. There was the potential for non-attendance to persist into the new school year.

·         Social work heads of services had been contacting schools regularly to support children with child protection issues.

·         Significant work had been undertaken to keep key worker provision open in early years.

·         The impact of the lockdown on pupils’ mental health and the educational deficit was still emerging. The report provided the young minds survey which was a national survey but with a relatively small sample. The outcomes state that there is a variable outcome and there may have been an adverse impact on children with special educational needs in particular during the lockdown. A local survey undertaken in Herefordshire and Worcestershire echoed the national findings. Both surveys had small samples and the methodogly was open to challenge but there was anecdotal evidence concerning children who had enjoyed the online opportunity particular from disadvantaged backgrounds and with autism where they could work comfortably from home.

·         On return to school in September it is likely that there will be a significant gap between children with special education needs and their peers. The education endowment foundation suggests up to a 50% gap and locally it has been suggested that it will be 30%. Plans were in place to offer further advice and support to schools when pupils return in September.

·         The government had announced some initiatives, the detail of which is awaited, including a catch-up programme which would make tutors available and the council is intent on bidding for some of the support offered. It was also anticipated that there would be more help in terms of transport of getting youngsters to schools.

·         Planning was taking place for a fully open return in September however advice was still being received including whether secondary school pupils should wear face coverings.

·         Early Help had been very busy during lockdown with 500 – 600 contacts every week; these were followed up with about 50 visits. 

·         Some detail had been issued about what Ofsted would do next term and it was understood that they would make school visits but not write judgmental report.

·         Schools were encouraged to adapt curriculums from September to accommodate some of the catch-up work. If it emerged that some pupils had regressed during the lockdown they may emphasise certain elements of the curriculum. The autumn term would focus on returning to learning and catching-up on numeracy and literacy whilst adjusting to any new national guidance.

·         When national guidance was issued in the future which contained is an opt-in opportunity for additional support the council would apply and join programmes on offer.

During the debate the Committee made the following principal points:

·         The survey carried out between Herefordshire and Worcesteshire was commended and the number of Herefordshire parents who had contributed. The survey was undertaken early during the pandemic and it was queried whether the exercise would be repeated. It was recommended that the survey was repeated at a later stage in October/November once pupils had returned to school. The ADEDS explained that it was likely that the survey would be repeated but it had been led by public health rather than education. The Director Children and Families (DCF) explained that an in depth survey from the Children and Young Peoples Partnership was planned in January to cover a number of matters around the lives of young people in Herefordshire. A key part of the survey would focus on wellbeing and mental health and it would contain reflections from children on their state of mind and an assessment of the support they were receiving.    

·         It was queried whether private nurseries that were still closed continued to claim the nursery education grant and if the reasons were known why such establishments could not reopen or were unlikely to reopen. It was proposed that a briefing note was provided in November with detail of the number of nurseries that had reopened in September and how many had been able to remain open. The ADEDS explained that he would need to investigate if the grant was still being claimed but in Herefordshire there were around 170 pre-school settings; during the early stages of lockdown the number that were open dropped significantly. Work was undertaken at that point to ensure that a service remained in the county. A number of private nurseries furloughed staff and there is some uncertainty as to the number of children who will return in September. Some establishment were dependent on the continuation of the nursery grant to stay open but if there were insufficient numbers of children the business model may become inviable. Early years settings in schools were not affected as they were funded differently. Around 120 pre-school settings had reopened by the end of the term and they were intending to open as normal in September and to test their business model during the September and October period. Business planning seminars had been hosted for the establishments providing advice on how to manage the reopening.

·         There had been some inequality in experience of some young people particularly for children in homes where there were a number of siblings and a lack of access to computers. It was likely that there would be gap in attainment evident in September and it was important that there was an update on national catch-up programme when details became available.

·         Tribute was paid to work of schools and teachers over the period of the lockdown and the work of officers at the council in support of schools.

·         The intention to extend the curriculum variety and offer by keeping the blended learning model was queried and what the role of the council was in working with schools to implement the model. The ADEDS explained that academies could decide their own curriculum but must still pass through an Oftsed inspection and work towards the national testing system. Schools should have been looking at a broader curriculum over the previous 2/3 years following as assessment that there had been too great a focus on preparation for tests in maths and English. The council were part way through adapting the curriculum when the pandemic arrived. Blended learning would continue for some time, during the autumn term it was possible that there would be local school lockdowns. Some courses were not suitable for the blended learning approach, particularly post-16 courses and this needed to be discussed with the colleges. Colleges had been very good at blended learning as they had been prepared prior to the lockdown but in respect of those courses with a piratical element or apprenticeship the online model may not be appropriate. Licenses had been provided to establishment to provide access to resources online. There is a variation among schools with respect to the online models currently being used; the curriculum model was there not as consistent as it could be. Ofsted will be looking at it in the Autumn term; two Ofsted inspectors had been seconded to the council who were commissioned to do a Herefordshire online survey and found that schools were doing well. The choice of different software among schools meant there was a variation in the offer that some schools provided which needed to be looked at in greater detail in the autumn term. The DCF explained that all schools were expected to follow the governments advice on attendance and the expectation was that pupils would physically attend schools. There was some benefits to the blended curriculum but the national approach was that children should be enabled to attend school which the council was working towards for September. There was some national guidance for children of families that were shielding and work was ongoing with schools and public health to see how they could be supported but it was acknowledged that guidance and advice was changing.   

·         The Chairman explained that a review of CAMHS was on the committee’s work programme and was something that the committee wanted to look at before the pandemic due to the waiting list for referrals to the service. As a result of the pandemic it was anticipated that waiting times would increase. It was proposed that the item was brought forward on the committee’s work programme after the annual meeting of Council. The committee noted that there was significant data around children’s mental health and a focus was now required on what actions could result, as part of the review of CAMHS it was recommended there was also a review of school pastoral support and a mental health pathway for looked after children. The ADEDS welcomed the review which should include a review of what elements had worked well and how it had been achieved. In particular there should be a focus on the work undertaken by the virtual school; the attendance of looked after children rose from 10% early in the lockdown to almost half as a result of the work of the virtual school.

·         The committee heard from the education co-optee from the Diocese of Hereford who explained that there were 78 church schools in the Diocese. Attendance had been very high during the lockdown. Tribute was paid to the head teachers and teachers for opening schools and coping with changing advice and guidance. In the report there was detail that attendance on a Friday tended to be low; some schools were choosing to close on a Friday and a greater consistency in the opening of schools would be welcomed. Where schools were struggling to open or to remain open there should be targeted support and an insistence that they open. The ADEDS explained that the low attendance on a Friday had been a national issue and among explanations was that schools used the Friday as preparation for online work but a main reason was that schools were halving class sizes, especially in primary schools. It was acknowledged that needed to work in September to ensure that all children were back as soon as possible in all schools.

·         It was explained that the surveys were important but it was questioned what tangible actions would be put in place to respond to the outcomes? The ADEDS explained that where young people had experienced adverse mental health impacts it was understood that there would be funding available, including for counselling support, to assist schools.

·         It was queried whether the number of laptops that had been issued had been sufficient, from where the request had emerged and whether additional support in the provision of broadband had been required. The ADEDS explained that the number was provided by the Department for Education from a survey conducted in January each year. The council bid for and received the maximum number it was eligible for which was almost 400 laptops. About 20 dongles were allocated to provide a broadband service. Some laptops were received late but all were circulated before the end of term. The provision of the laptops was a greater challenge than access to broadband. Schools commented that a single laptop in a house with multiple children was a challenge. A number of schools reported struggling families who would have welcomed the equipment; some schools had been able to provide their own laptops. A survey has been conducted based on schools requests for more equipment and it would be reassessed in the autumn term.

The cabinet member children and families explained that it was pleasing to hear the positive comments about the work of officers and schools during the lockdown. There was reference to the children’s commissioner’s report Teenagers Falling Through the Gaps and the local concern to this issue. Work was being undertaken with partners to identify where the gaps existed and identify actions to address those gaps; a statement would be released shortly which would outline how the council was addressing the concerns of the community. The DCF explained that work was being undertaken to develop an approach to support children in education, training and employment. The approach would be the responsibility of the whole council, to address the economic situation where possible. Education training and employment figures for looked after children and care leavers had improved and was above national and statistical neighbours. It was however acknowledged that the challenges associated with employment opportunities and moving into adulthood would be significant for vulnerable children and children in general. There was a need to work closely with partners on the challenges.

The debate continued as below:

·         The variation of mental health services across Herefordshire and Worcestershire and the availability of services during the lockdown, as evidenced in the survey, was queried and what assessment could be drawn. It was important to understand the impact on mental health services during the lockdown and it was recommended that further work was undertaken on this area. The ADEDS explained that under the lockdown face to face mental health services would have become virtual and people may have opted in or out of such new arrangements. It would useful to look at the survey again to try to understand why people thought that the mental health offer had changed. The early help service was busy during the lockdown and with a potential second spike of infections the service was keen to maintain virtual visits. The DCF noted the responses to the survey which showed an absence of concern about the lack of exercise and lack of access to mental health support. There was a need to understand such feedback in light of the significant concern held by professionals around these issues. During the lockdown Herefordshire successfully bid for support for mental health teams in schools and a briefing note would be circulated to the committee. Further information had also been sent out to families regarding the support that could be provided through school nursing. A session had been held with Early Help and an outcome had been that there was felt to be a gap in emotional wellbeing support for primary aged children which could be a topic for scrutiny to look at; relevant agencies and professional recognised that this was an area where further work was required. During the development of the children and young people plan it was acknowledged that there were low targets nationally for children to receive CAMHS support after diagnosis. The low target was a concern particularly in consideration of the potential effects of lockdown.      

·         The committee heard from the parent governor co-optee from Westfield School who explained that there were between 10 – 15 % of pupils in school over the lockdown period due to the status of vulnerable children or children of key workers. There was a move to reintroduce pupils to school later in the term. It was felt that there had been a lack of guidance for special needs schools nationally given the additional per pupil staffing levels that are required and the education of non-verbal children and those with an ASD diagnosis. There was great gratitude for the efforts of the staff and leadership team throughout the lockdown who had made significant efforts to keep pupils in bubbles in school; although they had concerns regarding coping strategies with a lot of social care support withdrawn. The leadership team attempted to support staff mental health issues through internal/parental questionnaires and staff meetings. Children not attending were provided with relevant subject work and supported remotely with regular telephone contact where appropriate. Some children were supported with home visits once PPE had become available. The procedure for the new term in September would include: the possibility of alternate days and remote support; transport assistance would be sought from parents to avoid children travelling together; temperature checks would be undertaken on arrivals; and there would be a focus on maintaining bubbles. The ADEDS explained that weekly telephone calls took place with head teachers of the three multi-disability special schools. There was concern around the lack of PPE in the initial phase of the lockdown. In September one special school will stagger the start in the first weeks back following consultation with parents and families.

·         The impact of the lockdown on the anxiety of pupils on the autistic spectrum was raised and special consideration would need to be given to how this could be managed in schools. There was also concern for the support available for children who had experienced domestic abuse, family breakdowns and increasing financial pressure. Potentially a lot of young people could be falling through the gaps.

The Chairperson proposed and Councillor Paul Andrews seconded the recommendations below which were approved unanimously.

RESOLVED – That:

·         The committee recommends that a further survey is undertaken concerning children’s mental health and schooling arrangements during the pandemic;

·         A briefing note is circulated providing details of the number of private nurseries that have opened in September 2020 and stayed open in October and November;

·         An update is provided regarding the national catch-up programme;

·         The work on children’s mental health is prioritised by the committee and includes a review of school pastoral support and a mental health pathway for looked after children;

·         Further detailed examination of the outcomes of the survey is undertaken to determined how the provision and effectiveness of mental health services were impacted during the lockdown; 

·         An update is provided regarding the attendance rates after the return to school in September.