Schools are being asked to prioritise attendance for certain groups of pupils and “consider” remote education during strikes, after the country’s largest education union won a ballot for industrial action. The Department for Education “handling strikes action in schools guidance”. It comes after the National Education Union announced it had passed the legal turnout threshold for national teacher strikes in England. The NASUWT teaching union has also announced it will re-ballot members after its ballot missed the turnout requirement. The NAHT, which also fell below the threshold, is considering doing the same. Here’s a round-up of the key bits (starting what’s changed in the update first). 1. Prioritise key groups like during Covid IF you have to close … The DfE expects heads to “take all reasonable steps to keep the school open for as manypupils as possible”. But if the numbers of staff on strike means they need to 鈥渢emporarily prioritise places鈥 then schools should apply the 鈥溾 where vulnerable children and children of key workers (like during Covid lockdowns) are in school. Schools should also 鈥渃onsider鈥 prioritising pupils due to take public exams and other formal assessments. They are encouraged to review contingency plans 鈥渨ell in advance鈥 of each exam series. 2. … and consider remote education, too Although there鈥檚 no legal requirement to teach the curriculum on strike days, schools 鈥渟hould consider, where possible鈥 providing remote education if attendance is restricted. The DfE directed schools to the drawn up during the pandemic. Good practice is considered to be three hours a day on average for key stage 1, four hours for key stage 2 and five hours for key stages 3 and 4. If they go ahead with remote education, schools should work with their catering teams or food provider to ensure that children on free school meals receive a 鈥済ood quality lunch parcel鈥. 3. Make sure tutoring happens The DfE said tutoring remained key in helping pupils catch up on lost learning during the pandemic. So schools should 鈥渢ake all reasonable steps鈥 to ensure scheduled tutoring sessions can go ahead during strike days. But if there鈥檚 no alternative but to cancel, schools should follow the National Tutoring Programme guidance (see here). 4. Schools can use agency staff under new laws The updated guidance highlights that it is “now possible for employers toengage with agency staff to replace the work of those taking official strike action” – after a law change last year. Such usage would likely prove highly controversial, however. Schools Week previously reported how some supply agencies had warned there were not only too few teachers available to fill in as hoped for by government – but also that they would not provide workers on principle. 5. Heads can ask other teachers to cover While staff are not required to tell their employees whether they intend to strike, schools can ask staff in advance so they can plan. The guidance says heads can ask other teachers to cover classes of striking staff, however they can not be compelled to provider cover if they are employed under the School Teachers鈥 Pay and Conditions Document. Cover supervisors can be directed to fill in. School staff not in unions can join strikes, but staff in unions who balloted not to strike cannot. 6. Teachers can鈥檛 be compelled to set work There is no requirement for teachers on strike to 鈥渕ake up the time鈥 following the action. The guidance says: 鈥淪chools need to decide how best to make up for pupils鈥 education that has been lost.鈥 Striking teachers cannot be compelled to set work for students on the day of the strike. However the guidance says 鈥渋f classes are running as normal, many teachers will choose to set work鈥. 7. Collapse classes and pool staff The guidance says schools 鈥渕ay choose to bring together groups and classes with teachers and support staff working together, as long as pupils鈥 health and safety is ensured鈥. One example given is a school 鈥渃ollapsing classes so that larger groups could be supervised to carry out a prepared taskor controlled assessment鈥. Leaders provided supervision. Another example is of a 鈥渟oft federation鈥 of four schools that pooled staff and pupils into the one school. The arrangement also meant that 鈥渟econdary school pupils could mentor primary school pupils, opening up opportunities to support with reading and other activities鈥. 8. Ofsted inspections can continue The guidance says Ofsted inspections will be treated similar to other possible disruption, such as severe weather. Ofsted inspections will 鈥渢ake a view as to whether there is sufficient activity taking place to enable it to conduct an inspection鈥. If there isn鈥檛, the inspection is 鈥渓ikely to be deferred鈥.
Squirrelmummy 27 January 2023 Where schools are closed is it compulsory for children to participate in online learning?