Calderdale schools having to prioritise which parents are 'critical' workers

Against the background of the Department for Education widening the categories of vulnerable and key worker pupils who can attend school, this has increased numbers of eligible children and under pressure parents want to send them to school.

But Consultant in Public Health to Calderdale Council, Ben Leaman, says in some cases numbers are too great to enable children to attend school safely to minimise the risk of contracting the virus now present in a more transmissible form.

The Department of Education is insisting schools ensure all children who qualify can attend.

"To be brutally honest, the Public Health advice and Department of Education advice is not always in alignment, and that is putting it politely," Mr Leaman told members of the council's Children and Young People's Scrutiny Board.

Board member Shelagh Hirst said she was concerned about the increased take-up of places compared to the first lockdown last spring.

She asked whether schools had been given more advice and support to minimise spread of the virus within schools, for example more use of masks, social distancing, and keeping children as far apart as possible "because with full classes it is almost impossible."

Mr Leaman said this meant social distancing of two metres was important and key to it was having sufficient space, otherwise in a class of 30 for example, it meant you could not have that many children in.

Board member Dr Helen Vickers asked how schools determined who could come into school, what defined a key worker and she called on Government to be less ambiguous and make guidelines tougher.

"I don't see why school staff have to make those decisions in the first place," she said.

Mr Leaman said it had placed headteachers under pressure and his team had supported them as to who were "critical" workers and advised them to use public health advice to respond to parents.

"We're happy for them to fall out with public health but not schools," he said.

Earlier the board heard the council's Director of Children and Young People's Services, Julie Jenkins, and Director of Public Health, Debs Harkins, had written to parents outlining the situation and this had helped reduce numbers in schools.

Lesley Bowyer, Interim Assistant Director for Education and Inclusion, said: "But it has led to some very difficult decisions and we recognise the difficult impact for parents."

Some employers were pressurising employees to go into work when they could work from home, she said, and prompting some solutions which were not in line with Government guidance - some parents had formed informal childminding bubbles.