Given that whole year bubbles may be leading to an increased spread and largescale closures, ensuring that bubbles are of a workable size will minimise the risk of infection spreading throughout the school. You can view the schools’ approved waiver applications and reopening plans on … Today’s statement follows a longer statement to the Secretary of State on Friday (8 May), which set out in full detail the principles and tests necessary for the safe reopening of schools. However, speaking on the BBC, Calum Semple, professor of child health and a member of the government’s own scientific advisory committee said that the decision to keep early years settings was a political one and not one based on scientific advice. But many local councils have defied the government's rules, saying they will support any primary school who does not feel safe to open this week. The risks are too high. Put protocols in place for drivers/escorts to report to staff if any child is unwell on a journey to school, including isolating other student son the transport, the driver and escort. Unison members in schools and nurseries throughout Dundee are to meet this week to discuss the implications of schools reopening. Some children and young people feel extremely anxious about coming into school/college in the current climate and should not be required to do so. 4) A whole school strategy. In addition, individuals shouldn‘t have to work where they reasonably believe that they (or others)  face serious and imminent danger. UNISON remains clear that members who work in schools have a right to a safe working environment. A face covering is not considered PPE, as although it may help in reducing the rate of transmission, it does not provide the level of protection necessary to minimise the risk of infection. But he said the "issue is not the safety of the schools", rather that the "anxiety of the government is any activity" where households mix indoors and spread the disease - including schools. SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Gyms and fitness facilities are joining a list of businesses that will be able to reopen their doors to the public on June 12. Schools should not use rooms which lack adequate ventilation, for example due to windows which cannot open. UNISON believes this should be planned for in advance rather than reacted to later. If you have issues with your employer, please raise them with your UNISON rep or local branch for advice and assistance. The arrangements adopted by schools for minimising contact and maintaining social distancing are vital for staff and student safety. As a result, schools will have fewer protective measures in place to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 than most other workplaces. The call to delay the reopening of schools was supported by Unison, as the union's head of education Jon Richards said: "The Government must end its … Some have also called for school staff to be prioritised for vaccines. Under normal circumstances, schools are required to put additional staff into their timetable to ensure that teaching continues during PPA time. UNISON is concerned that DfE advice for September states that bubbles can potentially be as large as entire year groups and that staff can move between classes and year groups. There is additional advice published by the Department for Education on cleaning the environment, which includes toys and equipment. Ensure only those fully trained and equipped with the relevant protective equipment are involved in any deep clean. We will continue to place pressure on the Government and employers to ensure this. UNISON believes that when a pupil or member of staff develops coronavirus symptoms or receives a positive test result within a bubble the rest of the bubble should move to studying from home. One area where there is currently confusion is “face-coverings” vs “face masks”. Unison head of education Jon Richards said: "The Government must end its bitty, piecemeal approach and act decisively by delaying the start of term for all schools … If small classes/bubbles continue, then ideally the allocated teaching assistant should provide this cover. Rosie Lewis, UNISON schools lead, added: “We’ve assessed the guidance and UNISON is absolutely clear that we cannot support the reopening of schools at the end of June. As part of school reopening planning schools chose from different scheduling models for blended learning. Schools must ensure that they always have adequate supplies of PPE available. UNISON has issued a joint statement calling for government reassurance that schools will not be completely re-opened until it is safe for staff to return to work. Responding to new Department for Education (DFE) guidance on the reopening of primary schools and nurseries and to meetings held on Friday 15 May between unions, officials and government scientists on the risk of Coronavirus transmission by children, UNISON head of education Jon Richards … Talk to your UNISON branch if you are unsure what your rights are. Educational provision is maintained for children during this time away from the classroom e.g. Any arrangement for a HLTA to lead a class should be reviewed and agreed with the staff member on at least a fortnightly basis. UNISON’s own charity for members, There for You, can help you to find relevant sources of emotional support. Today’s statement is signed by GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, … The Government introduced the NHS COVID-19 App in England and Wales to support the Test and Trace system. Your School should supply the necessary equipment to enable you to work from home as illness and caring duties permit and accept that some staff may have to be at home on full pay where such work cannot be found. Introduction. capability etc. Cover supervision should only be for a teacher’s short-term absence from the classroom where the absence was not known about in advance (for example to cover short-term sickness). If this evidence doesn’t exist, then the government cannot and must not put the safety of staff and local communities at risk. UNISON fears on schools reopening hit Echo UNISON hits at schools reopening plans: UNISON’s concerns about government plans to reopen schools too early and without the adequate safety precautions hit Thursday’s Echo. (See links at the top of the page for advice in Scotland, Cymru/Wales and Northern Ireland.). Just reopening a school for in-person instruction on its own is not going to address the issue of safety,” Newsom said, promising sanctions for schools that don’t follow safety rules. UNISON, UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AY. Council leaders in Wolverhampton, Norfolk, Slough, Manchester, County Durham, Lancashire, Birmingham and Gateshead have also said they are happy for schools to stay closed if the headteacher thinks they are not safe. Please also see the FAQs in the section below called ‘Special schools/colleges and alternative provision’. UNISON welcomes this change as wearing face coverings will protect drivers and other transport users. We are dismayed that the new DfE guidance does not address concerns that UNISON and other unions have raised about the impact that new definitions of vulnerable and critical workers’ children will have on attendance and the ability to prevent viral transmission in schools. are still being paid by the school, so contracted staff should be fully paid. UNISON strongly disagrees with this guidance. The government have advised clinically extremely vulnerable people to shield during this lockdown. Meanwhile parents in several Tier 4 areas were confused today as to why their children are being made to return to primary school - when those in London and the South East are shut until later this month due to high case rates. Speaking at a London hospital rolling out the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the first time today, Boris Johnson said the government is "doing everything we can to protect teachers". Nearly a quarter (23%) of support staff say primary schools have operated class sizes bigger than the 15 pupils per group maximum However, Sir David King, former chief scientific adviser to the government, told Sky News on Monday that ministers should "look very carefully" at the situation surrounding education. We are also concerned at the potential increased risk to school staff whose roles mean social distancing will be extremely difficult, (if not impossible) for example those supporting pupils with medical needs, or carrying out one-to-ones or group work. For more information see our factsheet on cover supervision. Supplies of coverings should be available for pupils along with procedures for disposal and storage of the coverings. UNISON believes that schools should permit and encourage staff and eligible pupils to use the app, following the DfE guidance. It It follows a longer statement addressed to the secretary of state for education on Friday (8 May), which fully detailed the principles and tests necessary for the safe reopening of schools. We are therefore urging school leaders and headteachers to implement the following measures to protect pupils and staff from the new Covid strain: In special schools and alternative provision it will not be possible, or even appropriate, for every child to receive face-to-face provision every day. UNISON’s advice is that employers should instead seek to maintain smaller groups – preferably no larger than a normal class in primary and KS3 and half a year group in KS4. This includes ensuring that safe ratios are met, and/or specific training undertaken, for any interventions or care for pupils with complex needs where specific training or specific ratios are required.”. Schools should ensure regular cleaning throughout the school day and support cleaning staff including via additional paid hours and hiring additional cleaning staff where necessary. Only cleaning staff should be asked to carry out a deep clean of a school or particular area within the school. Primary opening should also be held back. UNISON and the joint unions have produced a checklist which sets out what employers should demonstrate they have considered in establishing their arrangements for social distancing or minimising contacts and mixing. Updated commentary on government guidance and checklist to support school risk assessments. However we are in dialogue with the Department for Education and await updated guidance on these settings, which we will respond to and update members as soon as possible. Initial advice for these settings is provided below. UNISON has received many messages from early years workers expressing their fear and anger at the way they are being treated as somehow less important than other education workers. If PPE is required for you to be able to do your job safely, then your employer is required, by law, to provide it for you. We expect that it will be necessary to increase school transport in many areas. Unions with members in the education sector today (Wednesday) published a joint statement on the safe reopening of schools. Significantly the government and Public Health England have now admitted the role of airborne transmission, particularly in poorly ventilated places where groups of people spend long periods of time together (this crucial new information is particularly important for schools). It recommends that the app be used and switched on where possible, unless phones are required by schools to be left in lockers or bags in communal areas at all times. Unions with members in the education sector are today (Wednesday) publishing a joint statement on the safe reopening of schools. We have produced questions for you to ask your school on test and trace in sections 7, 8 and 9 of the joint union checklist. The Department for Education (DfE) wants children back in primary schools in a phased reopening starting next month, ... and the public service union Unison… UNISON believes that all staff should be allowed to test as early as possible after suspected contamination, as this will limit potential cross infection. UNISON believes that early years settings must be treated in the same way as primary schools and should be closed except to vulnerable and key workers’ children. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that those care homes which offered full contractual sick pay to their staff carried lower risk of infection to their residents. This is why settings need to plan for their most vulnerable pupils/learners now rather than slavishly follow DfE guidance in the hope that everything can carry on as normal. If your employer still refuses, contact your local branch. The joint unions, including UNISON, continue to believe that staff should only attend the workplace when it is sufficiently safe for them as individuals to do so. Gavin Newsom signed into law last week largely keeps intact funding for California’s public schools, capping a turbulent couple months of budget negotiations. If you have issues with your employer, please urgently raise them with your rep or local branch for advice and assistance. UNISON Cymru/Wales will post updates on its, UNISON Northern Ireland will post updates on its, Limit bubble sizes to a maximum of 15 pupils per class or 50% of the school’s usual class size, whichever is smaller and will ensure 2m social distancing, Staff should remain within their bubble at all times with no crossover working, Black staff (the government uses the term BAME), Staff living with or caring for a family member who is medically vulnerable at higher risk, Staff who are otherwise anxious about returning to work. The app is available to anyone aged 16 or over, therefore some students in years 11 and 12 can use the app alongside staff. On the other hand for some children the routine of coming to school may be necessary to meet their needs or they may need access to therapies and resources that are only available at school. The measures we have argued for throughout this pandemic to make schools safer should still apply during this lockdown. Employers must set out how they will manage and reduce any resulting increased risk. They too should be supported by a teaching assistant. We are especially concerned about the number of pupils who have not received IT and internet provision from the government at the same time as they impose a legal duty on schools to provide remote education for pupils who are self isolating. Unison, GMB and NASUWT have also all called for the reopening of all schools to be postponed. You can also contact your local UNISON health and safety rep or local branch for further information and support. Where bubbles/small classes remain, the school must do a risk assessment to ensure that any adjustment to ‘normal’ routine and/or staff moving between classes/bubbles does not increase risks. Education unions agree statement on the safe reopening of schools. More than one in five (22%) support staff say primary schools have operated class sizes bigger than the 15 pupils per group maximum recommended to maintain social distancing. Schools with a confirmed case of coronavirus can contact DfE’s dedicated schools coronavirus helpline on 0800 046 8687 to seek advice on what action is needed. This would help to remove financial barriers to outsourced staff self-isolating in cases of local COVID outbreaks. Government guidance outlines the key workers who must remain active to deliver this education provision in England, which includes childcare, support and teaching staff, social workers and specialist education professio… Referring to primary schools being closed in London, which is in the same tier as Birmingham, one said: "People were not understanding the difference between the two cities.". UNISON's head of education Jon Richards continues to get your points across about wider reopening of schools in England. UNISON believes that all early years settings will need to review their risk assessments as a result of the increased transmissibility of the new variant of COVID-19 and the increased risk to staff. The school should, at the minimum, pay you to the end date of your assignment. If your school is not following these measures, please contact your local rep or UNISON branch. It causes an impact in the spreading rate of the disease," he said. Their advice recommends that schools refer to safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care settings for more information about infection and PPE. Teaching union, NEU has set out five tests which it argues are essential to be met to ensure the safe reopening of schools: 1) Much lower numbers of Covid-19 cases. A specialist cleaning team may have to be established. We will notify members by email when new FAQs are added. Agency staff will, alongside other school-employed staff, play a vital role and UNISON is arguing that you should be kept on full pay during this period. Early years settings in Northern Ireland and Scotland have closed to help prevent the spread of the virus, yet the DfE in England has said that it will withdraw funding from any nursery in England that closes, leaving many in an impossible position. UNISON Head of Education says beginning of June reopening is unrealistic as safety tests not met. Unison, which represents school support staff and the National Education Union, had told members “not to engage” with school reopening plans until further guidance was issued. Good employers will recognise the benefits of retaining experienced and committed staff and should consider the childcare needs of all staff when planning for the winter term and beyond. UNISON has been engaging throughout the Covid-19 pandemic with the Department to ensure that the concerns of our members are heard and acted upon. Cleaners employed to clean the school should be provided with the correct equipment. We are concerned that the widening of the definition of vulnerable category is being driven by the government’s complete failure to roll out IT equipment to all children in need, despite having 9 months to sort this. The joint unions have produced a helpful checklist to help with carrying out risk assessments in a school setting, which you can send to your school to aid them in their planning. DfE guidance states that schools must consider the following when planning school transport services from September: The above applies to coaches and minibuses picking up the same pupils each day, as well as services which are used by different pupils on different days, including pupils with SEND. UNISON is concerned that the very limited measures in the DfE guidance mean social distancing in schools will realistically be very difficult and very little PPE will be provided. That is why we are calling on schools to carry out role-based risk assessments. Please see UNISON’s PPE guide for more details. Schools in Northern Ireland will have an ‘extended period of remote learning’. UNISON is producing further guidance on the deployment of teaching assistants. There are many government-backed schemes available to companies who provide school meals to help them through this time and reduce the effect on staffing. Many special and AP schools will also have higher numbers of vulnerable children and behaviour issues. If you have issues with your employer, please raise them with your UNISON rep or local branch for advice and assistance. Six unions are urging the government to "pause" the return of pupils to classrooms until the they can guarantee their safety. Notify all staff and keep them updated on any development. by dedicated school transport, they mean services that are used only to carry pupils to school. See our detailed advice. For cleaning staff, a risk assessment and training should be conducted and appropriate personal protective (PPE) equipment provided by the employer before any deep cleaning is carried out. Unions have claimed that a full reopening of schools in England could put teachers at "serious risk" of falling ill with coronavirus and could "fuel" the pandemic. Contents Covid-19 second wave – we need fully funded Local Government, NHS, and public services Unison General Secretary election Fire Service Schools Private Care Sector exploits workforce Representation Facility Time Covid-19 second wave We need fully funded Local Government, NHS, and public services The Tories record on combatting Covid-19 has been disastrous and as we […] UNISON is therefore calling on school employers to require contractors to pay full sick pay and the real Living Wage as a minimum (as part of our Clean Schools, Safer Schools campaign). Where schools have the option of closing school based nurseries we would strongly recommend that they do so. Schools must be allowed the flexibility to establish which vulnerable learners could be offered time in schools. Teaching assistants may also be deployed to lead groups or cover lessons, under the direction and supervision of a qualified, or nominated, teacher (under the Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012 for maintained schools and non-maintained special schools and in accordance with the freedoms provided under the funding agreement for academies). PPE such as disposable gloves, aprons and medical grade face masks must be made available following a risk assessment and where it is not possible to implement government guidance on social distancing. The Department for Education (DfE) guidance on schools reopening makes a distinction between ‘dedicated school transport; and wider public transport: The advice for passengers on public transport to adopt a social distance of two metres from people outside their household or support bubble (or a ‘one metre plus’s approach where this is not possible) need not apply from the autumn term on dedicated transport. 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