Coronavirus special The union’s guidance on safe wider reopening. See page 8.
Changing the narrative Redefining ‘The Covid Generation’. See page 15.
The magazine for NEU Leadership members
Children in care Learning during lockdown. See page 16.
Summer 2020
Headship is like being the captain of a cloud. Incoming NEU president Robin Bevan on the challenges of leadership See page 11
Mental wellbeing Supporting students after lockdown See page 19
Coronavirus special The union’s guidance on safe wider reopening. See page 8.
Changing the narrative Redefining ‘The Covid Generation’. See page 15.
Welcome
Children in care Learning during lockdown. See page 16.
The magazine for NEU Leadership members
Summer 2020
Headship is like being the captain of a cloud. Incoming NEU president Robin Bevan on the challenges of leadership See page 11
Mental wellbeing Supporting students after lockdown See page 19
Lead.
Summer 2020
Robin Bevan, NEU incoming president Photo: Kois Miah NEU president: Amanda Martin NEU joint general secretaries: Mary Bousted & Kevin Courtney Editor: Sally Gillen Editorial assistant: Sarah Thompson
AS this issue of Lead went to press, we had just heard the latest plan for the full reopening of schools in September from Education Secretary Gavin Williamson. We definitely need a plan. But do we need the DfE one, no doubt hastily tweaked following the reintroduction of lockdown in Leicester, which forced schools to close just weeks after they reopened? U-turns have become common since March. They are the inevitable consequence of making decisions without the input of the profession. Badly thought out advice, which is unclear and inconsistent, piles extra pressure on leaders at a time when many of you haven’t had a break since Christmas. That is why the NEU has worked hard to produce guidance that is timely and practical (see page 8). If the pattern since March continues, Mr Williamson may find his September plan is unworkable, but he won’t have to look far for one that isn’t. The NEU’s ten-point national education recovery plan is sensible and comprehensive (see page 4), and, importantly, it’s based on what you have told us you need. We haven’t got everything right for leader members during this tough time. And we are sorry for that. My colleague Kevin Courtney addresses those shortcomings, and gives more detail on how the union will fight for safe schools for staff and students (see page 22). This issue is a celebration of the exceptional work you are doing during an historic time in education and there is also lots of practical information to help you. Thank you. Enjoy some rest over the summer. Mary Bousted Joint general secretary National Education Union
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Contents
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Features Coronavirus
Planning for safe reopening
The Interview Robin Bevan
15 Opinion
16 How I…
Led a virtual school during lockdown
19 Masterclass 19
Update
The NEU’s national education recovery plan, T-levels rollout and more
Ways to address the mental health impact of Covid-19
Let’s redefine ‘The Covid Generation’
22 Final word
Working together to help Government make the right decisions for September
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Update
NEU calls for urgent action and funds to address effects of Covid-19 FORMER teachers should be encouraged to return to the profession to provide the numbers of staff needed now there will be smaller class sizes, the NEU has told the Prime Minister. That is one of ten proposals set out in the union’s national education recovery plan, which was sent to Boris Johnson two days after the Government was forced to abandon its ambition for all primary school children to return to school before the summer break. Urgent action – backed by significant investment – is now needed to plan for the uncertain future created by Covid-19, the union has told Mr Johnson. The letter, sent by NEU joint general secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, says the Government must now invest heavily in education. “While we all hope that there will not be a second spike, or local spikes, we must plan for this possibility,” they wrote. “The plan will require major investment in education, akin to the investment made in the job recovery plan. We think this is absolutely necessary in order to prevent children and young people becoming casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic.” The wide-ranging plan covers the extension of free school meals, the use of public buildings to provide extra teaching spaces, blended learning and ideas for exams and assessment. The union has also told the Government that it will need to make plans for blended learning because children are likely to be
BASELINE DELAY WELCOME, BUT TEST SHOULD BE DROPPED JOINT general secretary of the NEU Mary Bousted has said the decision not to implement the Reception Baseline Assessment in September is the right thing to do but the test should be scrapped altogether. The Department for Education
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National Education Union National Education Union Hamilton House NUT Section MabledonHouse Place Hamilton London WC1HPlace 9BD Mabledon T 0345 811 8111 neu.org.uk
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Joint General Secretaries Dr Mary Bousted BA (Hons) MA PhD Kevin Courtney
The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA 10 June 2020
Dear Prime Minister The effects of COVID 19 on England’s education system are likely to be prolonged and profound. The majority of pupils will not be returning to school until September at the earliest, but we do not know how much time they will be in school because we cannot predict what measures will need to be taken, then, to ensure that schools do not become vectors for COVID. Whilst we all hope that there will not be a second spike, or local spikes, we must plan for this possibility. It is with these considerations in mind that the National Education Union has developed a 10 point plan for education renewal. The plan is focused on the needs of all children and young people, and in particular those who suffer from disadvantage and deprivation. The plan seeks to address the sense of isolation which is being felt by many children through a summer holiday local offer. It focuses, also, on poor children and young people who need significant additional support so that they can fulfil their potential now, and in their adult lives.
“The plan will require major investment in education, akin to the investment made in the job recovery plan.”
The plan will require major investment in education, akin to the investment made in the job recovery plan. We think this is absolutely necessary in order to prevent children and young people becoming casualties of the COVID pandemic. A ten-point plan for children and young people 1
Disadvantaged children and young people and their families must be a key priority. They must not become casualties of COVID.
The letter urges Government to take action
receiving their education at home and in school, particularly if the R rate spikes again in the autumn, as predicted by scientists. Disadvantaged children are at the heart of the plan, with an urgent focus on a summer holiday offer and supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The union has said that children living in poverty and low-income households must be given the resources they need to learn at home – 700,000 children live in homes without internet access. Laptops must be provided for children who do not have them and they must be provided with access to the (DfE) announced at the end of June that Baseline will be postponed until autumn 2021 because of the challenges created by Covid-19. The DfE said schools had the option to become early adopters of the test to familiarise themselves with it before it becomes statutory. The 20-minute test, which assesses language, communication, literacy and maths, was planned to take place in the first six weeks of school. Mary said: “Schools need to be
internet and online learning. Commenting on the letter, Mary and Kevin said: “We need a clear national plan. The Government must demonstrate leadership and the capacity to work with local authorities and education unions so that plans are implemented in all the regions. The NEU’s ten-point plan addresses significant issues that have to be considered. These issues will need funding and planning. “We look forward to speaking to Government, alongside other education unions and education professionals, about how we get this right, and in good time.” Read the letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson setting out the ten-point plan at neu.org.uk/media/10906/view
focused on supporting children’s learning when they return to school, and Baseline testing would have been a distraction.” She added that while the Government has called off the tests, it is still encouraging schools to become early adopters, despite the fact the test is of no value. “Baseline remains a pointless exercise in accountability,” said Mary. “The union will continue to campaign for its complete withdrawal.”
Update
Union criticises DfE’s guidelines for September reopening THE rushed Government plan for full reopening of schools in September risks failing children, parents and staff alike, the NEU warned Education Secretary Gavin Williamson. Responding to the publication of Department for Education guidelines, released three weeks before the summer holidays, the union said school leaders needed measures based on scientific evidence in order to open fully in September. Instead they have been handed a poor plan that fails to put to bed concerns over safety, said NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney. “We all want to see a full return for all pupils from September, but this must be safe, well-planned and in pupils’ short-term and long-term interests,” he said. “The litmus test for school leaders, teachers, support staff and parents will be a thought-through strategy that puts to bed any concerns over safety. This Government guidance is unlikely to address these concerns.” Kevin went on to say that measures including keeping whole secondary year groups in bubbles, which are kept apart by staggering arrival times, breaks and lunchtimes, presented immense practical difficulties. He added that the guidelines put an emphasis on test and trace, which the NEU has been calling for since March, but the Government has still
not delivered anything like an adequate programme. Without track and trace, we will see patterns of school closures like the one in Leicester. “We are concerned that the Government does not have a plan B if these guidelines do not work or if cases are higher by the time we get to September,” said Kevin. “We need much clearer science, as well as guidance that is grounded in reality, for the full return of all pupils to work. As ever, the NEU is ready to talk with Government to find a way forward.” r Williamson was forced to drop •M plans for all primary year groups to return for a month before the summer holidays. NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted said that it had taken the Government some time to recognise that social distancing made it impossible for primary schools to admit all children before the holidays.
PRIMARY HEADS SPEAK OUT PUBLICLY ON WIDER OPENING THREE members of NEU Leadership spoke out in The Sunday Mirror newspaper about the problems with wider reopening. Catherine Armistead, John Hayes and Chris Dyson highlighted their concerns around safety, after the Government said it wanted nursery, reception, year 1 and year 6 pupils to return on 1 June. They pointed to a lack of scientific evidence showing it was safe to have more children in school and the impossibility of social distancing, especially among the youngest children. John Hayes, head teacher of Gospel Oak Primary in London, told the newspaper: “It’s scary. We just don’t have enough information.”
NEU Leadership membership rises during lockdown HUNDREDS of leaders have joined the NEU since the beginning of lockdown, with a spike in numbers on 11 May – the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced wider reopening of schools in June. Head teacher of Southend High School for Boys and incoming NEU president Robin Bevan said the union had provided vital support for leaders
who had found themselves in an impossibly tough situation. “A lot of leaders have felt isolated and under pressure,” he said. “The union has guided them through the Government announcements, providing advice, a voice and collective action.” See the interview with Robin on page 11.
Three heads were interviewed by The Sunday Mirror
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Update
School leaders prioritise students’ emotional wellbeing after lockdown SETTLING children back into school must take priority over catching up on learning, education professionals said ahead of the wider opening of schools. Head teacher and NEU Leadership member Chris Dyson said: “We must make it clear to the Department for Education that when children come back they will not be cramming. We really have to look after these children.” Chris, leader at Parklands Primary School in Leeds, added that it was important to remember that children’s experiences of being at home during lockdown will have been mixed. Some will have had the best ten weeks of their lives, while others will have struggled, he said. “Everything at our school is going to be about circle time and adapting to a new situation,” he said. “It’s not going to be about catching up on reading and writing. I’m not worried whatsoever about the children catching up.” Yasemin Cevik, a year 3 teacher and NEU member from Bradford, said: “It would be very easy to try and dive back into all the academic stuff, but even if the children are just in for one week before the holidays, I’m going to spend all that week just showing them how much I love them
Leader Chris Dyson says he’s not worried about “catching up”
GUIDANCE
“When children come back they won’t be cramming.” and how much they have been missed.” Yasemin, who sent each of her 32 pupils a personalised letter during lockdown, added that there may be children who remain unsettled for some months. “It’s going to take a lot of time,” she said, adding that routines will be important
THE NEU has drawn up a five Cs strategy for leaders to support learning. The union advises that learning should focus on being caring, setting a context for learning, having a creative curriculum, connecting and building and celebrating your community. For more details go to neu.org.uk/ supporting-learningduring-coronavirus
in helping children. “My PSHE and circle time will be the most key things when I get back.” See Masterclass on dealing with the mental health impact of Covid-19 on page 19
CPD moves online SOCIAL distancing rules have forced the NEU to rethink how it offers the CPD programme. The union is offering a mix of pre-recorded webinars, bespoke live webinars and third-party delivery of online professional development. All have proved successful, with more than 6,000 engagements with our webinars alone in the first two months of lockdown. In a sad sign of 6
the times, over 1,000 members signed up for our Dealing with bereavement and loss training. Webinars on Rethinking behaviour and Understanding the effects of trauma have also attracted several hundred members. The union also trialled a leadership course earlier this month, How to decide your next steps. It allowed members to critically reflect on their leadership
lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members
during the Covid-19 pandemic and decide what the priorities should be going forward. Until we can ensure it is safe for our members to meet, the CPD programme will continue to be offered online. CPD opportunities are being continually added so keep checking our website for details at: neu.org.uk/national-cpd
Webinars and other training events are being offered safely online
Update DFE IGNORES CALL TO DELAY T-LEVELS
Sports coaches ran the hub, supervising activities such as hula hooping
Sports hub gives children a boost and staff a break TWO primary head teachers set up a sports hub for vulnerable children and those of key workers over the Easter and half-term holidays to give their staff a break. NEU Leadership members Allison Hickson and Catherine Armistead, whose schools are 15 minutes apart in Lancashire, came up with the idea after becoming concerned that staff were exhausted. Catherine, head at Skerton St Luke’s CE Primary School in Lancaster, said: “Allison and I were conscious that staff were tired, and they were scared. I was off ill, and I was worried for Lisa, my deputy, because she had put herself on the rota for the first week of the Easter holidays and then I was meant to be in the second week, but I was still really poorly. I was aware that she was getting very tired, and that’s when people get ill.” Instead of opening the schools during the holidays, the pair decided to hire sports coaches to run a hub from a former children’s centre. Children from five primaries attended, taking part in socially distanced games
including hula hooping. Allison, who has been head teacher for 17 years at Morecambe and Heysham Sandylands Community Primary School, said: “I worked at the hub every day the first week of the Easter holiday and we had 18 children in. We had lots of phone calls from parents, but we had to keep to that number.” The five head teachers who contributed to the hub hope to reclaim the cost of running holiday provision from the Department for Education. All are members of a primary school cluster of 42 head teachers, who meet termly and organise CPD for staff groups including deputies and pastoral support workers. “We work really closely as a cluster of head teachers, looking all the time at different ways we can support each other in our schools,” said Catherine. “Without the cluster I think I would have gone completely bonkers during the coronavirus. It just makes you feel not quite so isolated.” To read Catherine’s opinion piece see page 15
FIFTY providers have signed up to deliver the first three T-level courses from September, and the Government is pressing ahead with its plans for implementation despite the Covid-19 pandemic. T-levels are a new twoyear vocational equivalent to A-levels, combining placements with classroom learning. The first three courses will be in digital, construction and education. Work experience is a key part of T-levels and awarding organisations have expressed concerns to the Department for Education about the challenges facing employers during the pandemic and whether it is realistic to expect them to be able to offer highquality industry placements. A 2019 study by the National Foundation for Educational Research, for which half of the 50 providers were interviewed, found they believed the timescales were “extremely tight” and that a lack of placements and limited public transport would threaten successful rollout.
Construction will be one of the first T-levels
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Coronavirus
Only when it is safe
As the pressure grows to reopen fully from September, our policy teams have produced advice and guidance to help leaders base their decisions on what is safe.
WITH some trepidation, leaders began to open their schools more widely last month. In preparation, many hours were spent working on plans, and then adapting them as the Department for Education (DfE) issued guidance bit by bit, often late in the evening. Sometimes – just to add to the confusion – it was at odds with advice from elsewhere. A case in point: the huge amount of confusion caused when SAGE experts said rotas were the safest way to bring back children, only for the DfE to issue its own guidance saying rotas should not be used. Since March, a flurry of new guidance – on average two to three changes a day – has dropped into leaders’ inboxes. By June, more than 300 documents had landed. In the climate of uncertainty created by Covid-19, leaders’ need for clear guidance from Government, together with the flexibility to use it in a way that makes sense in their school’s context, has never been greater. Unfortunately, that need is not being met. Ahead of the desperately needed summer break, and just days after schools were forced to close again in Leicester after lockdown was reimposed, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson insisted it was vital all schools reopened fully in September. He had already, of course, been forced to drop his plans for all primary pupils to return for a month before the holidays. 8
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Scientists are warning of a second spike of coronavirus in the autumn, which makes planning even harder. The union has always been clear that schools should only open more widely when it is safe, and we have been producing advice and guidance on how to assess risk since the outbreak of the pandemic. neu.org.uk/coronavirus-leaders
1)
Meeting the NEU’s five tests In May, the union published five tests that should be met before schools reopen. They are: much lower numbers of Covid-19 cases, a national plan for social distancing, a national test and trace system, protocols for when a case of Covid appears in a school or college and protection for the vulnerable. Increasingly, it is being recognised that decisions need to be made by heads based on their local context as the lockdown in Leicester has shown. In some parts of the country, infection rates are still high, while in others they have come down significantly. The local director of public health can provide information about infection rates in your area. There is a clear difference in the R value (infection rate) across the country, so local information is key. It is important to note that as Lead went to press, the Government had yet to launch a reliable national test and trace system.
2)
Risk assessment for wider opening The many issues you need to consider when planning for wider reopening are covered in the guidance the union has developed to be used in conjunction with joint union checklists for different sectors: primary schools and early years, secondary schools and colleges, and special schools and pupil referral units. The guidance includes staffing, site capacity – including how you will comply with social distancing rules – travel to and from the site, what to do if there is a suspected case of Covid-19 during the working day, hygiene and cleaning and PPE. neu.org.uk/advice/coronavirus-wideropening-schools-colleges
3)
Higher-risk staff Assessing the risk to your staff is a key part of planning for wider opening. The union has published Coronavirus: ensuring safety for staff at higher risk. The NEU is firm in its advice that staff who are in clinically vulnerable groups, or who live with or care for household members in clinically vulnerable groups, should not be required to return to the workplace and should instead be allowed to work at home. This should be determined by the individual risk assessment. In cases of disagreement about whether
Guidance: Coronavirus
individuals should be required to return to the workplace, the NEU advises that medical advice from the individual’s GP should be sought and considered. When employees are working at home, they should in all cases receive full pay and this time should not be treated as a period of leave, either paid or unpaid. We know that Black staff are at increased risk from Covid-19 and the DfE has confirmed to the NEU that “schools should be especially sensitive” to the needs and concerns of Black staff, parents and pupils. This advice should be followed in all schools and colleges. A report by Public Health England found different rates of increased risk are faced by different groups of Black adults, with mortality rates in the period studied ranging from 102 per cent higher for people from a Bangladeshi background to six per cent higher for people from a Black African heritage. Ethnicity must, therefore, form part of every employer’s risk assessment with regards to individual staff. neu.org.uk/advice/coronavirusensuring-safety-staff-higher-risk
4)
Blended learning With the threat of an autumn spike in cases, it is increasingly likely that schools will need to continue
to operate on a rota basis during the autumn term. The possibility of a second spike means that pupils and staff are likely to need to self-isolate at very short notice, in many cases without actually developing the illness themselves. Therefore, the union believes leaders need to plan for delivering education differently in the immediate and longer-term future. Blended learning – the combination of home and school learning – is included in the NEU’s tenpoint national education recovery plan. Blended learning should be more than planning online and remote lessons, with thought being given to how face-toface interaction will support and enhance remote learning. Teachers must be given time to think this through in a coherent and planned way. The NEU’s guidance on blended learning is based on five principles. Blended learning should be safe, fair, realistic, manageable, and forward-looking. Importantly, wider school opening has the potential to increase workload exponentially, as teachers plan lessons for in-school and remote learning. Blended learning must not make teachers’ workload unmanageable. Staffing must be managed so that staff have adequate breaks during the day, and teachers must be given PPA
time on a weekly basis, which can be taken at home. Support staff must not be expected to be in classes or with children all day, and must be given adequate breaks including a lunch break away from the children. Pressures on head teachers and other senior leaders have been high in developing this blended approach, not helped by the lack of clarity in guidance from Government, the numerous changes to the guidance, and the expectation that head teachers will make high pressured decisions about the safety of their schools when there is little consensus on the science. This has added to the pressure that many have faced by being on site almost constantly as schools have been open, and the need to provide support for families in need with food, delivering creative packs and other necessary resources for learning, and signposting to other support services. Wider opening will add to these pressures, and senior leaders should consider how you will manage your own workload, through sharing and delegating responsibilities where possible, and what support you can access, to make this period manageable. neu.org.uk/advice/coronavirusmanaging-blended-approaches lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members
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Interview
Robin greets students one by one each morning
Steering a new course
Leaders are having to find their own way through the Covid-19 crisis, with help from the union, the incoming NEU president tells Sarah Thompson. “HEADSHIP is like being the captain of a cloud,” head teacher Robin Bevan says. “The role will move and shape whether you like it or not.” The impact of Covid-19 on the role of leaders illustrates his point perfectly. Since the outbreak of the virus in March, head teachers have been forced to adapt to the most challenging of circumstances. Starting with the week before lockdown, which Robin describes as “something of a battering,” adding: “I never want to go through a week like that again.” Looking back, Robin says it’s clear the Government “hadn’t got the faintest idea how schools were run” as, with just 48 hours’ notice, head teachers found
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be able to draw so freely on good quality advice from the NEU, when the DfE guidance is so poor.”
themselves with the insurmountable task of organising everything from online learning provision, care of vulnerable and key worker children, and staff rotas to onsite maintenance and insurance claims for cancelled school trips. At Southend High School for Boys, where Robin has been the head teacher for 13 years, celebration assemblies were also rapidly organised to mark the end of school for year 11 and 13 students. “It is a rite of passage for those pupils,” Robin insists. “It’s part of the way they end their time in school.” For ten weeks, he had on average ten students coming in each day. Then, faced with the Government’s announcement lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members
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Interview
Photography: Kois Miah
Robin is head at Southend High School for Boys
that schools should open more widely, Robin began tentatively planning for a phased return, but wrestled with the practicalities, made more difficult by the “utterly inconsistent” guidance from the Department for Education (DfE). Finding a way forward It is impossible to keep up with the Government guidance, Robin says. “The Prime Minister behaves like a jack-in-a-box. He pops up, makes declarations, then disappears.” “We are told we must wear face masks on public transport, but in schools they aren’t deemed necessary,” he says. And the advice around social distancing measures raises problems in a 1920s building that has narrow corridors and in which the standard classroom area is 50 square metres. “These spaces simply won’t work in the way that’s been envisaged in the guidance,” Robin explains, so instead he based decisions on his pupils, staff, classrooms and building. The risk assessment template he used came from a head teacher colleague – the DfE failed to provide one – and the NEU checklist, and regular contact with the school’s NEU rep has been invaluable. Asked by a colleague whether he has found it a help or a hindrance making decisions as 12
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a head while being so publicly involved in the NEU, Robin told him: “It’s an absolute pleasure to be able to draw so freely on good quality advice from the NEU, when the DfE guidance is so poor. It’s been impressive. It’s protecting members.” On 15 June, he had 60 pupils – most from years 10 and 12 – on site, 15 fewer than planned for. Most who stayed away would have had a two-leg public transport journey. The staggered start and finish times meant Robin was out on the gate welcoming pupils one by one. “That was very different compared with the normal experience of 1,000 people rushing through the gates ten minutes before school opens,” he says. “The pupils were really pleased to be back. You want it to be a bit of a celebration, but it isn’t really because a lot of things they would normally do they can’t. They want to go outside and play football and we’ve said, you can kick a ball around, but you can’t handle it. We’ve just got to have a few careful refinements to make that reasonably safe. But it went well.” Keeping a sense of normality The day starts with a general catch-up for all of them. Then pupils do online work and, while they’re doing that, the teachers
talk with each of them individually. There are two teachers in each room, so they can have that conversation – a private conversation, about 15 minutes long – away from the group. Among other things, Robin has introduced lunch boxes that are delivered to classrooms, and each room has a sanitation station at the entrance. But he also wanted to ensure the environment, while safe, remained as normal as possible. “We’ve got a little bit of signage around hand sanitising, but we’ve avoided the yellow distance tape. Instead, we’ve simply spread chairs out to show where we want pupils to sit.” As students began returning to school, Robin was conscious that there would be a range of emotions. “For those craving the return to normality, there is delight and relief. For others there is a huge amount of anxiety and grief.” There are students who have experienced bereavement, and, at a neighbouring school, a student died after contracting the virus. “There is no doubt that Covid-19 has touched the fringes of the school community with an element of tragedy,” he reflects. To help students and staff adjust to the return, every teacher was provided with a photo sheet of the students in their group
Interview
“The Prime Minister behaves like a jack-in-a-box. He pops up, makes declarations, then disappears.” so that they would know their names before they got into school. “That’s a small thing,” says Robin, “but it’s hugely important. If it’s your first day back, you want somebody to know who you are.” Robin says he thinks the return to school has been welcome for most students: “The fact they are in school, that school is still here and still normal, albeit a little empty, is reassuring.” Speaking out The pandemic arrived on the back of a really exhausting period for head teachers, says Robin. Hit by a 20 per cent reduction in school funding over the last eight years, Robin was forced to increase pupil numbers, while keeping staffing levels the same. At one point he was teaching maths classes of 60 students. He has, like many leaders, been increasingly alarmed by the dwindling budget he has to run his school, and has been prepared to speak publicly about the devastating impact of cuts. He has spoken out in the media and he marched with thousands of other head teachers in 2018 on Downing Street to drive home the message, then along with a handful of other heads he delivered a letter to the Chancellor ahead of the budget in 2019. His actions have come at a price. He shrugs off the criticism he faced from his local MP for talking honestly in the local media about the school funding crisis. But the demand from the DfE just
before Christmas for details of those on his school’s governing body – after Robin had submitted a deficit budget – felt quite different. Concerned that an interim executive board would be sent in and he would be removed from his post, Robin tells me: “I thought that was the worst it was ever going to get.” A new role He remains, despite this unwelcome level of scrutiny, committed to speaking out about the issues threatening education. That is why is he is looking forward to succeeding Amanda Martin as NEU president in September. He joined ATL as a trainee teacher in 1989, quickly becoming an active member. Trade unionism is in the blood. Robin’s father was president of the Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions (ATTI) and his grandfather was chairman of the National Association of Approved Schools Staff (NAASS). He grew up in a household where, he says, it was assumed you would do things in a compassionate and caring way, being mindful of those who were at a disadvantage or who needed a voice. Injustice is something to tackle, rather than to complain about, he argues. In order to effect change you need to have a positive vision of how things could be different. “That is what needs to drive the trade union movement,” he says, citing the Health and Safety at Work Act, which was borne out of trade union pressure, as a perfect example. “Union membership gives people confidence that they will be able to stand together with others in the same position,” says Robin. “People want that sense of solidarity.” With a lack of clear leadership from the Government, Robin argues that the union has become the first port of call for advice for many members. “We have to treasure that and make sure we use it well as trade unionists. It’s clear that a lot of leadership members have felt isolated and under pressure. We’re dealing with a situation where we don’t know what the answer is.”
One effect of the pandemic has been to put a pause on some of what Robin calls the “industrial processes” that surround teaching. “One thing that has become obvious is that you don’t need Ofsted to bully you into doing the right thing for your pupils,” he says. “It has backed off and schools have carried on doing fantastic things. “You can remove league tables, exams, Ofsted, performance management and you still have a vibrant and successful system.” He is anxious about the Government introducing more austerity measures to offset the huge amount of borrowing it has done, however. “If we enter another round of austerity, then the capacity for schools and colleges to deliver normal service will be up the spout,” Robin says. “It’s profoundly challenging already.” Despite those challenges, he loves his school and the local community. “I never had a career plan,” he says. “I’ve just accumulated experience and knowledge and then realised that I would be ready to go one step further.” Some head teachers can feel a pressure to become an executive head or a multi-academy CEO, but that doesn’t appeal to Robin. “Large chains of schools are a really distorted notion of what education provision should be like – that idea of disconnecting yourself from the intimacy of your school community. We’ve lost our way there.” It’s the strong relationships with staff and students that motivate him. Robin wants to support others to succeed, whether they be the students in his class or his staff. “The day I decide to close the office door, go down to the pub and not return I will leave behind a group of education professionals who will be better than I’ve ever been and that’s motivating,” he says. On the days when life aboard the cloud is just too much, Robin’s solution is a simple one: “I go out at break time and join a football game with the year 11s or I see what the lads in the computer rooms are doing. Those interactions, they’re simple, but that’s what matters to me.” lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members
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Opinion
“This generation are so much more than The Covid Generation” Instead of stigmatising children, we should be celebrating them for their grit, adaptability and huge capacity to care for others, argues head Catherine Armistead.
NEU Leadership member Catherine Armistead is head teacher at Skerton St Luke’s CE Primary School in Lancaster
I HEAR people talking about our children as The Covid Generation. The unlucky ones, the kids who are missing out, the pupils with gaps in their learning, the students who won’t have qualifications because they didn’t sit a test. Why do we choose to fi nd the negative and use that to defi ne our youngsters? Why do we want them to grow up with a stigma; an excuse to never succeed or a ceiling on their dreams? Here’s what I have seen from the young people in my care since the lockdown. I have seen children who show no limit of care and concern, not for themselves but for their mums and dads who work in care homes and the NHS. They show care for their teachers who set them learning while they’re in school who are working with the vulnerable and becoming vulnerable themselves. Most of all I see care for each other as they check in on their friends, missing playing out together. I have seen kids who are struggling with schooling in isolation pull themselves out of their learning hole and produce work they didn’t think they were capable of. Kids who have shown resilience and a growth mindset, because we couldn’t be there to jump in and help but had to encourage from afar and let them become truly independent. I have seen pupils who have found things tough but stuck at it because they were determined to show their mums and dads, their grannies and grandads their pieces of art and their best handwriting or record themselves reading a story. I have seen videos and photos of children lost in the flow of an activity. So engrossed in planting seeds, in reading for pleasure or learning to play the piano that they haven’t noticed when they were being fi lmed.
I have heard about children connecting with each other over WhatsApp, Zooming with staff members and playing online games with grandparents. Using the internet to connect, learn and have fun. Reminding each other how to be safe and kind and respectful. I have had correspondence with children thanking me for my videos and posts urging them on and congratulating them when they’ve done their best. I have welcomed children into school as they say goodbye to their parents who are working in jobs that are essential for our community. I have seen them quickly learn to stay safe, reminding each other to wash their hands and stand at a distance. I have heard their laughter as they play and learn together and seen their kindness and generosity towards each other. New friendships have formed and been nurtured by the changes in the way we work in school. Th is generation are so much more than The Covid Generation. They are The Creative Generation, The Resilient Generation, The Compassionate Generation. Please, reframe your words. Let us rejoice in our amazing children and their experiences and build on them to help them be The Greatest Generation.
“I have seen kids who are struggling in lockdown pull themselves out of their learning hole...” lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members
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How I…
“We’ve learned about how young people like to interact.” Rachael Pryor heads The Hope, Bristol’s virtual school for children in care. She tells Sally Gillen how she and her team have adapted the way they work during lockdown. LIKE many of us, until three months ago Rachael Pryor had never heard of Zoom. Now the video conferencing app has become part of her ‘new normal’, vital to her job as a virtual head teacher at Bristol City Council, where she has responsibility for the education of the 479 children in its care. “My record the week before last was nine hours on Zoom,” says Rachael. The pace and structure of her working life these days is a world away from how things were BC – before coronavirus. Then Rachael and her team of 15 employed at The Hope virtual school – it stands for Helping Our Pupils Excel and was named by the Children in Care Council – would hotdesk at City Hall, but a lot of their time was spent travelling for meetings at the 200 schools and settings attended by children in care, around 33 per cent of whom are outside Bristol. Meetings now take place online. “Sometimes young people feel more comfortable than they do in a room full of adults,” explains Rachael. “In a virtual meeting they can hide or mute themselves. We’ve learned during this period about how young people like to interact.” 16
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Some children have been at home with carers and enjoyed cementing closer, trusting relationships with them. Others have benefitted from school being less busy and demanding. Caring for the carers “Initially some schools assumed that children in care were safe, and understandably prioritised children where there were child protection concerns because of the sense they weren’t safe at home, even though the DfE guidance is clear that children in care should be offered a school place,” explains Rachael. “But if there is no education placement, it can put pressure on the care placement. For example, if you have older carers who have three or four children at home all the time and they’re trying to homeschool, that can create a lot of pressure. We try to impress on schools that although these children may not be immediately in danger, there may be implications for the care placement of the child not attending school.” Some foster carers, especially those who have been shielding, have not wanted the child to go to school. The role of the virtual school has been to be at the
centre of the discussion if there has been disagreement between the carers and the school, and a risk assessment has been created to guide that discussion. “We’ve had to make sure that the right thing has been done for the young person, but also that the care system hasn’t been put under too much strain,” says Rachael, adding that supporting carers with regular calls has been part of the work of The Hope. The predictable, consistent environment needed by children in care, most of whom have experienced trauma, is so difficult to provide during this period, says Rachael. But some have flourished being at home. “It has really made me think of the impact of the demands of school on young people. They have thrived by being in one place and not having the stress of going a long way to school and then managing those interactions in school. We have really learned about the stress of school, and the expectations and demands it places on children.” Managing the impact The attainment gap, a perennial problem for children in care, is of course getting
How I…
VIRTUAL SCHOOL HEADS
Rachael Pryor and her team are based in Bristol but, before the pandemic, travelled regularly for work
bigger, and in practical terms the virtual school has done all it can to ensure the children at least have the technology they need to access learning. Pupil premium funding – Rachael manages each child’s allocated amount as part of her role – has been used to buy laptops. “The social workers and virtual school have worked hard to try to make sure they have got those,” she says. For year 10s worried about their GCSEs, a statement from the Government confirming that they will only be examined on the parts of curriculum taught outside of lockdown would be reassuring, she adds. Although she stresses that it is important to think beyond the curriculum because the emotional impact of the pandemic is as important. It is unlikely Rachael and her team
will return to City Hall for months, which means virtual meetings will continue for the foreseeable future. “That’s what I’ve found to be the most difficult,” says Rachael. “We work in a profession that is about people, so we spend our time connecting with people. An awful lot of our work is face-to-face. We didn’t sign up to be static, in one place. “Another thing is that I’ve always got my information before and after meetings, during the coffee break, when I chat to someone. That’s where you pick up all that extra information that helps you do your job. If you go for a personal education plan meeting you might chat in the reception with the carer or social worker and that’s when you find out what’s working well, what isn’t. “But in the grand scheme of things, we’ve managed pretty well,” she says.
AS a virtual head teacher, a role introduced under the Children and Families Act 2014, Rachael is responsible for overseeing the educational outcomes of children in the care of Bristol City Council throughout their school career, reporting to a governing board and the council’s corporate parenting panel. She also supports preschool children in care, nursery and post-16, care leavers and previously looked after children. In 2017, the Children and Social Work Act extended the role to include providing advice and information to previously looked after children. Children are physically on roll at schools and settings in Bristol and elsewhere around the country. Once a child has been taken into care, the social work team will inform the virtual school and a personal education planning [PEP] meeting will be arranged within 20 working days. That gives an opportunity for the social worker, the school, foster carer and any other professional related to that young person’s education to sit down and make a plan for them. Meetings on progress then take place once a term. Rachael is part of the National Association of Virtual School Heads – NAVSH – which promotes understanding about the challenges faced by children and young people in the care system and brings together VSHs to share ideas and work on promoting, for example, awareness of attachment difficulties as well as engendering high expectations for children in care.
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Masterclass
Take time to talk
Two experts offer some ideas on how to tackle the mental health impact of Covid-19. On page 21, NEU policy specialist Sally Thomas sets out the union’s advice for leaders. AHEAD of a full September opening – if it’s safe – making sure the school is Covidready by spacing out tables, installing sanitation stations and introducing one-way systems might present logistical problems. Those changes may, however, seem fairly straightforward compared to the thinking that leaders need to dedicate to tackling the hugely complex mental health challenge created by the pandemic. Where do you start? Patrick Johnston, director of learning and practice at children’s mental health charity Place2Be, says: “A key question for leaders is, how will I go about putting my school community back together? “Rather than jumping into maths or English, spend time with pupils thinking about what we are grateful for right now – that has a really positive impact on wellbeing and mental health,” says Patrick, who is a former assistant head teacher. Educational psychologist Paramjeet Bhogal, who works at Newcastle City Council’s educational psychology service, agrees: “This is a new beginning. Time must be spent addressing wellbeing and resilience.” He recommends that initial discussions about Covid-19 should be framed by leaders and teachers in a way that conveys to pupils that everyone has been touched by the crisis, while at the same recognising that each experience is individual. “At a whole school assembly level it
Paramjeet Bhogal, educational psychologist
“This is a new beginning. Time must be spent addressing wellbeing and resilience.”
is important to give this message: ‘This situation has affected us all in many different ways and it is very difficult for me to know how it has affected you but it’s really important that, as we come together, we aim to create an environment where we can talk and share with each other and are able to raise any concerns or questions that people may have.’” He adds: “In that message what is important is the we but also the I. Sending out general messages is really important in terms of sharing, which can be done in a whole school assembly, but the most effective work is where people are connecting with each other, so that is in the classroom or the bubble. People are happier and more relaxed in a small group.” Place2Be has developed a model of recovery that can be used in classes or bubbles. Based on four themes – connectedness, self-efficacy, hope and gratitude – the model emphasises optimism and a celebration of the positives (see box page 20). “Self-efficacy is really about how we can all make a difference and, although we might have all felt helpless during this period, it is important for children to think that what they do matters. We have seen lots of examples of that with the way they led with things like protests on climate change and Black Lives Matter,” explains Patrick. “Hope positively correlates with our lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members
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Masterclass
Patrick Johnston, director of learning and practice at Place2Be
psychological wellbeing. Schools have done some really nice pieces around hope. The rainbow, for example, is an emblem of hope.” He adds: “Most important, as we go back to school, is to think about connectedness. Yes, students will have had digital contact but we know face-to-face contact has a significant impact. We did a survey of our staff who have been making 2,000 calls a week to families across the UK, and the common themes that came up were loneliness and isolation. Drawing on those four themes of recovery is more important than making sure children can do division or simultaneous equations.”
Leaders must take time to tackle their own mental wellbeing, says Paramjeet, who helped write Developing Resilience: a guidance document for education leaders in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, drawn up by Newcastle City Council’s educational psychology service. “The senior leaders need to look after themselves first because if they don’t, you don’t know how they might react when children start coming in and sharing,” he says. “Covid-19 should be treated as a critical incident because we don’t know what people have experienced during lockdown.” Patrick adds that leaders have been “absolutely phenomenal,” in responding to the crisis, but they and many of their staff have been working since Christmas without a proper break. “School leaders have been exceptionally busy, they have been putting plans in place, have been frustrated by the continual change about what the plans might need to be, they are worried about their staff, their school communities, their own families and they have not stopped,” he says. “The pace of change has been really fast for schools. When are they going to get some space?” The charity is offering free Place2Think sessions of 30-45 minutes, run by clinicians, in London – it hopes to offer them nationally in future – where staff can reflect on a professional situation. “As a head teacher who do you speak to? You don’t want to bring a problem to your deputy because you’re trying to shoulder what they’re shouldering. Do you
“School leaders have been exceptionally busy... they have worried about their staff, their school communities, their own families, and they have not stopped.” want to go to your chair of governors with everything? Probably not,” says Patrick. Preparing students and those staff who may be returning after months away with the adjustment to the “new’’ normal will be a challenge. Virtual tours on the school website are one way to do that. Patrick says: “We are moving to a way of teaching that we haven’t done for so long, where pupils all sit on their own. The more we can prepare children for that, the better.”
USEFUL RESOURCES: n Place2Be has produced resources for heads and
staff to help bring their students back together. They include assembly and class activity ideas. place2be.org.uk/our-services n Place2Think – school mental health supervision: place2be.org.uk/our-services/services-forschools/school-mental-health-supervisionplace2think n neu.org.uk/what-you-need-know-supporting-
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n n n n
vulnerable-students-staff (Fact sheets on mental health and wellbeing of pupils and staff) neu.org.uk/learning-and-events (Further training on bereavement, mental health etc) Checklists: neu.org.uk/coronavirus-reps T rauma-informed approach – framework to be published soon on neu.org.uk T he Education Support Partnership is offering support for leaders at educationsupport.org.uk
Masterclass
NEU POLICY SPECIALIST SALLY THOMAS SETS OUT SOME UNION ADVICE THE NEU has developed guidance for members on a whole school, trauma-informed approach to support the mental wellbeing of pupils and staff. It will help planning for wider reopening and for supporting healthy transitions and pupil/staff mental health. Here are some tips to help you start developing this approach: 1. Create a safe school environment Fears and anxieties around Covid-19 will remain at the forefront of many pupils’ and staff’s minds when they return to school. Keep engaging with parents, pupils and all school staff about what changes have been made to the school environment, including new rules and policies, to keep everyone safe. This will help to reassure those who are concerned and address questions, as well as help pupils to settle into new routines. When planning for wider reopening you must be compliant with NEU checklists. However, you should also consider involving pupils and capturing their views on what would make them feel happy and safe. This will help to build pupil agency, trust and a sense of belonging. 2. Build on what has worked well during the summer term There will have been lots of things that will have worked well during the summer term to support pupil mental health and wellbeing – from wellbeing calls to distributing free school meals. It will be important to continue to prioritise pastoral support, building on what has worked well during
lockdown but also reviewing where additional, tailored and specialist support may be needed. It might be useful to consider, for instance, if your school has access to counselling, creative therapies, play, music and art therapy and other interventions to support pupil mental health. Think also about whether your school’s connections with mental health services and other relevant local services need to be strengthened. Some children will not be able to return to school in September – so ensuring that pastoral support continues to reach those at home and on site will be crucial. 3. Use the principles of Care, Context, Create, Connect and Community in teaching and learning Teaching and learning will be critical to supporting wellbeing in the phased return. The curriculum must be responsive to children’s needs and prioritise social and emotional learning rather than a rush back to normal. We have developed guidance on supporting learning during coronavirus that will continue to be relevant throughout the academic year. The guidance contains links to resources that are helpful for supporting children’s mental wellbeing and how to encourage children to be creative and stay connected with others. Playbased learning will be particularly important for early years and primary schools. All children will need opportunities to be physically active and be outdoors, particularly as some pupils have had these opportunities restricted during lockdown. All children will need time to express how they are feeling and be given space
to make sense of lockdown and Covid-19. 4. Ensure staff feel confident, mentally well and equipped to respond to trauma Some of your staff may not feel confident in supporting pupils who have experienced trauma during lockdown. In some cases, children may exhibit challenging behaviour as a response to trauma. Ensuring staff have access to training will be important so that the whole school can be supportive of pupils, help them recover and build resilience and good mental health. The NEU has a range of CPD and training that may be helpful. School staff will also need to be supported with their own mental health and secondary trauma some will experience. The NEU believes that it is important for staff to have access to clinical supervision to support wellbeing during this time. You may also want to consider what spaces in the school could be used for staff for reflection/down-time. Some staff will need access to specialist support and the school should promote awareness of what services are available. Importantly, ensuring that a reasonable worklife balance can be achieved will support all staff’s wellbeing. 5. Look after yourself, too The advice to support the mental health of school staff applies to leaders too. What support networks, peer support and specialist services do you have access to? Remember, the NEU is here for you if you feel overwhelmed. Other services, such as the Education Support Partnership may be a useful service for school staff and leaders.
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Final word
Your union will be working with you to find ways forward for September
Kevin Courtney Joint general secretary, National Education Union neu.org.uk facebook.com/ national education union NEUnion
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I WANT to acknowledge that the NEU has not got everything right in its relationship with school leaders in recent weeks. Some of the messages we sent out have landed badly with heads, both in membership and outside it. They haven’t looked like we understood the enormous pressure being put on heads and have been read as increasing the pressure on colleagues. On occasion they have also been sent out at unsocial hours. Mary and I feel it is very important that there is a growing leadership membership of the NEU – so we profoundly regret these mistakes. We think the pressure on heads has mainly been created by Government: announcements where neither unions nor local authorities were taken into the Government’s confidence, guidance that was far too late and piecemeal and with regularly changing, confusing messaging. However, it is important that our union messages show sympathy with the position heads find themselves in. We could have done that better and we will strive to do this better in future. Having said that we’ve made mistakes, nevertheless we think that working together we have also achieved great things – and all without the threat of Ofsted or league tables. You have taken on enormously complicated roles during this lockdown and we hope the NEU has played a part in clarifying and simplifying some of that, through our well-received joint guidance with NAHT and ASCL, for example. You and your staff have kept schools running for the children of key workers and other vulnerable young people. You have organised the provision of education to children at home – and at the same time as doing this you have kept vulnerable staff safe. Many of you have made decisions to delay the wider opening of schools using union
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advice. Others of you have opened your schools from 1 June, but used the joint union checklist to make your school as safe as possible, including through social distancing and ensuring that vulnerable staff can still make their contribution from home. Working together we also ensured that the Government and the Department for Education eventually understood that it simply wasn’t practical to open to all primary children before the summer. Your union will be working with you – especially through our Leadership Council – over the next few weeks to engage with the Government regarding ways forward for September and to ensure that proposals to use schools for play centres over the summer holidays are practical and don’t require your supervision. We will be working as closely as we can with other unions on these matters and also in producing a sensible vision of education for the next year. We see no point in Reception Baseline Assessment taking place in September, nor in SATs tests next May. We see no point in Ofsted restarting school visits nor in the creation of league tables next year. The GCSE assessments in 2021 can’t be re-runs of the exams in 2019 and we will be engaging Government to get clarity on these matters as soon as we can. We are proud of the work of the union and its members, school leaders, teachers and support staff alike. You have kept your school running and supported the union’s campaigning during this time. The work you and the union have done has had a high moral purpose. It has kept our society running and has kept people safe. Mary and I have begun a series of regional Zooms, starting with one where I was a panellist along with London head John Hayes. Please do get involved. Thank you for your outstanding work and for your continued membership of the NEU.
“You and your staff have kept schools running for the children of key workers and other vulnerable young people.”
