King James’s School spending £7,000 a week on covid

King James’s School in Knaresborough is spending an extra £7,000 a week tackling covid, Parliament was told yesterday.

Covid has imposed additional costs on all schools, such as paying for supply teachers to cover teachers who are isolating.

But the scale of the problem at one local school was laid bare during a Commons education debate.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, asked if the government would take into account variable infection rates when planning education budgets for tomorrow’s Spending Review.

Mr Jones said:

“The highest levels of infection lead to the highest levels of people having to isolate, including teachers, so there are increased budgetary costs from having to backfill teaching staff.

“King James’s School in Knaresborough, a secondary school in my constituency, briefed me that this is running at £7,000 a week, so schools are facing a significant challenge.”

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Paul McIntosh, acting headteacher of King James’s School, urged ministers to help. He told the Stray Ferret:

“In the present climate, it is unsustainable to keep spending the extra money on resources like additional cleaning and supply teachers in order simply to maintain the school functioning in a relatively normal capacity.

“We would greatly appreciate the government giving serious consideration to providing schools with additional funding in order to support us through these difficult winter months.”

Gillian Keegan, the skills minister, told the Commons debate the government had provided £75,000 additional funding for “unavoidable costs that could not be met from their existing budgets”.

She added:

“There will be a further opportunity later in the year for schools to claim for eligible costs that fell between March and July.”

 

Harrogate and Knaresborough schools ‘could be forced to axe teachers’

Schools in Harrogate and Knaresborough could be forced to lay-off teachers because of spiralling debts, a councillor has warned.

Cllr Geoff Webber, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire County Council, said schools may be forced to act after new figures showed debt increasing.

A council report published last week on schools in Harrogate and Knaresborough showed four schools are projected to have debts totalling £1.6 million by March 2021.

By March 2023, this is forecast to have risen to five schools with total debts of £1.6 million.

Cllr Webber told the Stray Ferret:

“The schools will start off with an overspend one year and will not be able to bring that debt back under control. It just spirals from there.

“When the schools are in debt the only way for them to save money is to make staff redundant. It’s usually the more experienced ones that go first.”

The financial situation is bleak across the county: 37 schools in North Yorkshire have total debt of £7.2 million.

This is expected to soar to 93 schools with total debt of £18.3 million by 2022/23. This would mean 40 per cent of schools in the county will be in debt.

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Two primary schools, one secondary school and one special needs school are currently in debt in Harrogate and Knaresborough. The council paper does not name them.

The government has frozen education funding in recent years.

North Yorkshire misses out

The funding formula focuses on deprivation. So schools in more affluent areas like the Harrogate district tend to miss out.

The report says:

“North Yorkshire secondary schools are placed 133 out of 149 local authorities in terms of funding.

“On average, a school in North Yorkshire will receive £5,151 per pupil in 2020/21 compared to a national average of £5,496.

“Comparing the funding for a 1,500 pupil secondary school this equates to a difference in funding of £0.5m.”

Cllr Webber said the council should use its reserves to plug funding shortfalls if the government does not increase funding.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, the Conservative executive member for education and skills at the council, who represents Airedale, told the Stray Ferret:

“I do sympathise with the schools. It has been difficult for them since the funding was frozen with austerity. This puts us in a difficult position.

“We have been lobbying MPs to ask for more school funding. We had a 3% rise in funding per pupil this year and hope that continues.”

‘Act now before a child is killed’

A primary school headteacher and parents are calling for urgent speed measures in Killinghall before a child is killed or seriously injured.

Sarah Bassitt, headteacher of Killinghall Church of England Primary School, spoke out after a fruitless two-year campaign to tackle speed outside the school.

Traffic hurtles downhill along Otley Road into the village at a 60mph limit, which only reduces to 30mph about 200 metres from the school. Often cars are doing at least 40mph when they pass the building.

Ms Bassitt said many schools had 20mph limits outside and traffic calming measures, such as speed humps.

But two years of writing to North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Police have not led to similar outcomes in Killinghall.

Ms Bassitt said:

“The criteria seems to be that you have to have a child killed before anything is done.

“That hasn’t happened mainly because of the vigilance of parents and teachers.

“It’s very dangerous and different to what happens at other schools. It feels like we are hitting out heads against a brick wall.”

Ms Bassitt said some parents were so exasperated they had even used fake speed guns to encourage drivers to slow down.

Otley Road, outside the school in Killinghall.

Parent Gary Donoghue, who has led the campaign, said children were scared to walk to school.

Mr Donoghue said there should be a 20mph limit outside the school.

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He also called for the 30mph limit coming into the village to be moved back to the junction with Lund Lane to allow traffic more time to slow down before passing the school. He added:

“We are looking for prevention rather than repercussions. We don’t want something to happen to our children so they are the ones who bring about change.

“There seems to be a lack of acknowledgement that there is a problem. But when your child is scared to walk to school that is an issue. I wish someone from the council would come and speak to us.”

The Stray Ferret contacted North Yorkshire County Council several times for comment but did not receive a response.

Five coronavirus outbreaks at Harrogate schools

Five schools in the Harrogate district have recorded incidents of coronavirus since they reopened, county council bosses revealed today.

Stuart Carlton, director of children and young people services at North Yorkshire Council Council, said the cases involved seven pupils across the different schools.

As a result of the infections, three classes have been isolated.

The figures were revealed at a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of agencies that responds to emergencies.

Mr Carlton said 31 schools in the county have suffered outbreaks, with 69 staff and pupils involved.

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The Stray Ferret has reported coronavirus cases at St Aidan’s C of E High School, St John Fisher Catholic High School and Bilton Grange Primary School last week, as well as outbreaks at Harrogate Grammar School and Harrogate Ladies’ College.

Mr Carlton said the authority was “aware this would happen” and that parents should have confidence that schools are safe to go to. Mr Carlton said:

“We planned for this and we knew these things would happen. I am still confident about the measures we have in place.

“My message to parents would be you should have strong confidence that schools are safe places for children and we would encourage you to speak to your school if you are worried.”

Three more Harrogate schools report confirmed covid cases

A further three schools in Harrogate have reported confirmed cases of coronavirus in their students.

It comes as six new cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district in the last day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 894.

St Aidan’s C of E High School, St John Fisher Catholic High School and Bilton Grange Primary School have all sent confirmation to parents that they are following protocol and a number of students have been asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days.

The headteacher of St John Fisher has confirmed two cases of coronavirus among students. Similarly to the other schools, it has asked other students who had close contact with either of those diagnosed to self-isolate at home.

Mr Mort said:

“Due to the year group bubble arrangement and fixed seating plans which we have in place, we have been able to identify and contact a small number of students who have commenced a self-isolation period of 14 days. This has meant that we have not needed to close a full class/year group bubble. We are working with Public Health England and following all guidance necessary to ensure the school environment is as safe as possible.”

It is understood at least one of the cases relates to a student in the sixth form, which is joint with neighbouring St Aidan’s.

A letter to parents at St Aidan’s said the school was working with Public Health England and had asked some students to stay at home for 14 days. Headteacher Chris Burt said:

“St Aidan’s works alongside St John Fisher in providing the Associated Sixth Form across our schools. We were informed on Wednesday of a confirmed case of Covid-19 within the schools that has resulted in a small number of students having to observe a 14 day isolation period. The schools across the Association continue to work closely with Public Health England and the Local Health Protection Team.

“We wish the student concerned a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming all students involved back to school as soon as possible.”

Bilton Grange Primary School has also sent a letter to parents confirming a case. Students in one bubble in the school are self-isolating at home.

Exam desks

Just weeks into the new term some students are being sent home again in order to self-isolate.

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Earlier this week, both Harrogate Grammar School and Harrogate Ladies’ College confirmed they had students who had received positive coronavirus tests. Other students in their ‘bubbles’ are now isolating at home for 14 days.

The additional cases in schools come a day after North Yorkshire county council say it has introduced full emergency status as it deals with the rising number of cases in the county.

The authority said the highest numbers of cases are centred around the Harrogate and Selby districts.

Ripon Grammar named best school in the north

Ripon Grammar School has been named the top grammar school in the north of England.

The school, which was founded in 1555, received the accolade from Corporate Vision magazine’s national awards.

The awards highlight educators who are considered to be leaders in their field.

Chloe Smart, education and training awards coordinator at Corporate Vision, said:

“Skills, personality, outlook, ethos, drive, hobbies and ambition, are all rooted in early life.

“The role of an educator is utterly fundamental to the fabric of our society.”

Ripon Grammar School sign

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The Corporate Vision education and training awards were open to organisations including boarding schools, independent schools, early education organisations, adult education institutions, training centres, vocational schools and grammar schools.

Ms Smart said:

“The education and training awards were launched to spotlight the paragons of education and training and we have endeavoured to showcase those that have truly come to define the sector they work in.”

Extra buses for safety as district’s pupils go back to school

Extra buses will be provided by North Yorkshire County Council next week to reduce the risk of coronavirus among pupils using public transport go back to school.

The local authority has also introduced additional bus safety measures, such as asking pupils aged over 11 to wear face coverings.

Most buses will operate according to their usual timetable. But some additional journeys will take place on public service routes from next week to minimise contact among passengers as the number of pupils and commuters increases.

In Harrogate, the following additional services will be in place from September 7:

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Different safety measures will apply on school buses to those on public transport.

Social distancing is not required on school buses on the grounds that the vehicles will carry the same group of children regularly and no members of the public travel with them.

But school bus users will be asked to avoid unnecessary contact with other pupils by, for example, trying to sit in the same seat with the same group of pupils every day. Pupils aged over 11 are also encouraged to wear face coverings.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, executive member for education at NYCC, said:

“We would like to reassure parents and pupils that everything possible is being done to enable children to return to school and education as swiftly as possible, as well as minimise the risk of spreading the virus. The instructions for travelling on school buses and straight forward and largely the same as if you were visiting a shop or other public place.

“We expect that things will soon feel second nature to pupils and they can settle back into their school routine quickly.”

District parents “delighted” as schools reopen next week

As schools across the district prepare to return next week after more than five months away, some parents have said they’re “delighted” to know their children can return to classroom learning.

Coronavirus forced schools to close in March leaving most children to continue learning from home. Parents in the district have also spoken out about their worries over the educational impact further delays could have.

Schools will look different next month, with ‘bubbles’ in place and regular hand sanitising to prevent transmission.

Laura Berryman, from Bilton is sending her twins into year three next month. She said:

“I am 100% ready for them to go back. They are both excited to see their friends, we are feeling prepared, we’ve been told what to expect by the school hopefully it’ll all be fine. The small risk of getting it is outweighed by the impact of what they could miss out on. I don’t want them to go backwards, the thought of them at home any longer scares me.”

James from Harrogate is sending his son into year 10. He said:

“I’m delighted he’s returning to school, it couldn’t come soon enough. I’ve been disappointed with how the school has handled it. He had little work until three weeks before summer. The school had no idea how to use the technology and that made it more difficult, I don’t know why it was made out to be so difficult. I just hope the schools are using common sense to manage covid, the kids wellbeing is paramount. He’s excited to get back and speak to his friends it’s massively beneficial to have that social interaction.”

Kids walking to school in Harrogate

Kids walking to school will be a common sight once again as schools gear up to put measures in place.

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Some schools are yet to announce how school buses are to go ahead raising further questions for parents.

Nicola Crebbin has twin boys going into year nine. She said:

“I am ready for them to go back. I have no worries about health risks but it would be good to know more regarding procedures and transport. I am slightly concerned that the children’s education may be held back waiting for others who didn’t (or couldn’t) engage in education during lockdown to catch up, time will tell. Both prefer remote school to being in school, less distracted by other children and lack of peer pressure enabled them to be more creative. Although they did find the work set a little dull.”

Students receive A-level results online

Today was A-level results day for hundreds of young people in the district, most of whom have received their results online this morning.

Amid the pandemic, the students’ exams were cancelled and their grades have been based on teacher expectations, mock exam grades and previous cohorts’ results. All were then standardised by government body Ofqual.

Unlike previous years, students weren’t able to attend their college or sixth form today and instead found out their grades online.

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Apprehension regarding the results was heightened after a U-turn in Scottish exam results. All results that were downgraded through the new system were replaced by the original estimates.

Here you can find out how each centre has performed (more links will be added as results are released):

Parents risk losing child’s place at school over coronavirus fears, says county council

Parents who keep their children out of school from September due to concerns over them catching Covid-19 risk losing their place at the school, according to North Yorkshire County Council.

From next month the government says all primary and secondary school pupils must return after being away from the classroom since March, when the lockdown began.

The Stray Ferret put a range of questions about schools in the Harrogate district going back in September to Cllr Patrick Mulligan, executive member for schools at North Yorkshire County Council. His responses are below.

Cllr Patrick Mulligan, executive member for schools, North Yorkshire County Council.

Professor Neil Ferguson said last week that schools re-opening in September risks a second wave of Covid-19. Do you agree?

“There are so many different points of view about this but we’re listening to advice from the government. With young people and children, the risk of contracting coronavirus is very low.

“I’ve had a lot of contact with parents who are upset with the school lockdown. They say their kids are not getting an education.

“The government didn’t give so much guidance so it was up to the governors and teachers about what should be done. So in one village the school might have been doing everything electronically and in another village, they were doing hardly anything.

“The government didn’t have a national policy so it was up to the individual school. NYCC didn’t have the power to intervene if a school wasn’t doing anything because it was at their discretion.

“That turned out to be problematic. It was one of those things that was unforeseen when the lockdown occurred.”

Are you preparing to close schools if there is a second spike?

“We’ve learned a lot of lessons and it’s the last thing we want to see. We’re trying to mitigate it through local lockdowns and the same could be true for schools. Theoretically, the NHS could come in and shut a school down. Everything is evolving from day to day.

“If it did happen again we would hope there would be better internet provision and lessons set up. It’s a difficulty if children don’t have electronic devices or anyone at home supporting them.”

Will school buses be at full capacity?

“If the government had said we’d have to maintain social distancing for school transport that would be a huge issue for NYCC because frankly, we don’t have the number of vehicles to make two or three trips to the school instead of one.

“But the government has said where there’s a dedicated school bus service there doesn’t have to be social distancing.”

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What options does a parent have if they don’t want to send their child back to school in September due to safety concerns?

“As it stands now, the parents would have to keep their children at home then they would have to say they would home school their child. The risk is they would lose their child’s place at the school.

“Otherwise, if you keep your child off school then they are liable for a fine. That’s a big issue.

“Our absolute priority is to keep the children safe. If there is any thought they won’t be safe then we’d be advising the school to close.

“All the schools are taking it very seriously and implementing safety recommendations.”

Will teachers receive any extra training to prepare for any mental health issues children may face in September?

“It’s so hard to say what the mental health of our children is. Our mental health officers say there have been less calls than usual, which might be worrying.

“My daughter went back to school in June for a bit and she was quite relieved to see her friends and have more structure in her education.”

Does a teacher have to go back to work if they, for example, have a partner at home who is shielding? 

“I think they’d be allowed to wear PPE if they wanted to. It’s a very difficult one and it’s an individual choice. If someone wanted to stop working then that’s their choice.

“I don’t think there’s any more risk to a teacher than to someone in any other workplace. It’s completely understandable that someone might be nervous going back to work. In my experience, people are getting more confident about going out.”

Have there been any positives for children not being at school for so long?

“Maybe they have learnt to value things they have took for granted, just like all of us. My main concern is about their education. But I’d like to think they’ve learnt the value of family a bit more.”