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Jan 2021

Last Updated: 10/01/2021

Education

'We won't abandon children' on exams, says Harrogate headteacher

by Thomas Barrett

| 11 Jan, 2021

Harrogate Grammar School head Neil Renton spoke to the Stray Ferret about a range of issues. including how pupils have adapted to home learning, the morale of their teachers, and what school for children of key workers in lockdown three looks like.

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Harrogate Grammar School headteacher Neil Renton says the secondary school "won't abandon children" as uncertainty on what will happen with GCSE and A-level grades continues.

Yesterday in Parliament, education secretary Gavin Williamson said that a form of teacher-assessed grades will be used in place of exams — but Mr Renton said schools are still awaiting clarity on how this will work in practice.

He said Year 11s and Year 13s in Harrogate are increasingly anxious about how they will be assessed,

"We need information very quickly as last year was a fiasco. Because this lockdown has come earlier than last year, we've got to do something to keep Year 11 and Year 13 children engaged in learning.

"We can't just suddenly stop now and abandon them and just give them grades. We need to collect more information and teach them and finish GCSE and A-Level courses.

"The government needs to come out and give us real clarity on what evidence we will need to give them for their final grades.

"I really, really hope they base this on the information we've had from over two years of the course. Children have had so much disruption so we need more time to fully assess the level they've achieved."

'Chuffed to bits'

Mr Renton said the school is embracing online learning, with every pupil having access to the technology they need and the school maintaining the timetable, including live contact with teachers in each period. He said:

"This means that we've been able to protect their provision. We've been chuffed to bits with the feedback we've been receiving. Parents say it's given the children structure and they've had that interaction with their teacher, which was harder to achieve in the first lockdown.

"Some people say it must be tiring for children to do six hours of Teams or Zoom lessons. We're mindful of that so they are breaking off to do activities, speak to each other and talk to the teacher. It feels very similar to what they experience in school."

After a heavily disrupted half term up to Christmas, with whole year groups having to self-isolate, a degree of certainty with lockdown has been welcomed. But staff and parents have been left to deal with last-minute announcements by the government, he said.

"The vast majority of the profession are really struggling because of the lateness of information and the number of U-turns by the government but I've been proud of our staff and community and how they've responded."

On Friday, the school carried out its first lateral flow covid test, as they are rolled out across the country in an effort to identify asymptomatic cases and reduce transmission of the virus. Staff will begin being tested this week, after which students who are in school because their parents are key workers will be tested every week.

While national reports suggest there have been many more students in school this time compared to the first lockdown, Mr Renton said the grammar school's numbers were broadly the same, at around 50 to 60 students. However, he expects the number to rise as any students who are struggling at home are brought back in, and says staff are ready to support them.

Looking to the future, Mr Renton said the current challenges may result in better long-term teaching and learning, such as embracing more use of technology. He added:

"There has been a great kind of bonding. The behaviour in school was so good in September and children were so appreciative to back at school.

"We want there to be a long shadow from this experience and for it to have a positive impact in the future."