The report of the Strategic Director of Children’s  Services (Document “AC”) will set out contingency plans in place that will allow education to take place and continue whether there is or is not a further or extended COVID19 local lockdown across the District.

Recommended –

That the contents of Document “AC” be noted.

                                                            (Marium Haque – 01274 431078)

The report of the Strategic Director of Children’s  Services (Document “AC”) set out contingency plans in place that would allow education to take place and continue whether there was or was not a further or extended COVID19 local lockdown across the District.

It was noted that the vast majority of schools had already opened for staff training and would open for students in a phased way from the following week.  Schools were prepared for opening and where there were concerns they had contacted the authority for advice which was specific to individual schools.

The Chair recognised the amount of work that had been undertaken by officers, schools, head teachers, teachers and staff in schools and thanked them for this.

A member commented on the lack of detain the report that made it difficult to scrutinise. In response the Deputy Director Education advised that at the time of writing the report it had only been possible to provide information that was available nationally and that this had changed a number of times per week.  She provided an update and noted that there would be changes later in the week.  A report would be presented at the next meeting of the Committee on the £1.2 m additional funding to support post Covid recovery.  The key areas being focused on were:

·         The national laptop scheme awarded 2,000 laptops, there were 5,000 vulnerable and known to social care children in the district so the additional funding would help address this.

·         Targeted therapeutic input had been put in place for families facing additional vulnerability and challenges in returning to school

·         Tuition work would continue to be built on for the current year 11 cohort.

Co-opted members of the Committee thanked the Deputy Director and her team for their support and advice in the difficult circumstances being faced by schools.  They looked to her to monitor how the additional finance was being deployed and to advocate to the DfE that children get the additional  learning time they need before the next assessment in Spring.

The  Deputy Director would continue to send daily and weekly emails to head teachers.  Issues raised by parents and schools were collated and shared at weekly meetings with DfE so that they were aware of the issues faced in the district.  The national laptop scheme would continue until March 2021 however the authority was looking to extend it to the end of the academic year. Bradford had been held up as a national exemplar regarding the specification of the devices ordered and that controls and software were installed before they were allocated to children.

A co-opted member noted that preparations were in place to open schools and keep children and staff safe in unprecedented circumstances.  He referred to staff members in vulnerable groups such as those who were pregnant, over 60 or BAME.  He also referred to the condition of school buildings.  The Deputy Director responded that none of the schools had said that they would struggle to open.

The Deputy Director responded to a question about school placements and appeals that there had been a delay in receiving guidance from DfE on how  to conduct appeals and that new procedures had to be drawn up.  She added that the appeal process had started but that it was complex and appeals were being conducted in different ways and would not progress quickly.  She added that secondary appeals would be heard in the first part of the current term and primary appeals would be no later than the end of the current term.

In response to a member question the Deputy Director noted that attendance in different area of the district would be monitored through the school attendance portal to identify any issues.

Resolved -

(1)          That Head teachers, Teaching and non teaching staff, School Governors and Bradford Councils Children’s Services be thanked for their hard work in getting schools to re-open in a safe manner.

(2)          That a detailed report be presented to the Committee at its meeting in  October 2020, which sets out the use of £1.2m additional funding allocated to support the post COVID19 recovery in schools.

(3)          That a more detailed report be presented to the next meeting of the Committee and regular updates be presented to the Committee at every meeting in relation to schools re-opening following COVID19.

ACTION: Strategic Director Children’s Services