unison schools reopening

This decision will help to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control and ensure the safety of staff, pupils and our communities. DfE guidance states that schools must consider the following when planning school transport services from September: The above applies to coaches and minibuses picking up the same pupils each day, as well as services which are used by different pupils on different days, including pupils with SEND. If your employer still refuses, contact your local branch. After continued lobbying from UNISON, the Government has now confirmed that all education and childcare workers have priority access to testing. Some schools did not give a definite plan for having their staff regularly tested. Sufficient transport provision must be made available to avoid any overcrowding and allow safer travelling for staff and pupils. In many schools September re-opening should see a return to previous practice. Find out more about cookies and how we use them. It uses Bluetooth technology to track contact between app users, alerting individuals when they have come into ‘close contact’ with someone who has subsequently tested positive for coronavirus. If women are disadvantaged because their employer does not agree to reasonable flexible working arrangements to allow them to balance work and childcare, they may be able to claim indirect sex discrimination if reasonable attempts to resolve the matter individually or collectively do not resolve the issue. Join UNISON and get essential cover wherever you work. UNISON's head of education Jon Richards continues to get your points across about wider reopening of schools in England. There are many government-backed schemes available to companies who provide school meals to help them through this time and reduce the effect on staffing. The DfE has failed to provide any scientific advice for the different treatment of early years settings. We  expect that changes which impact on others should be discussed with all those affected, and that the local UNISON reps/contact should be involved. Eleanor Busby, PA Education Correspondent. Read full article. Unions with members in the education sector today (Wednesday) published a joint statement on the safe reopening of schools. Opposition: Demand for rethink of 'rushed' school reopening plans In a tweet posted last night, Mr Richards said that, until the unions settle on a joint position, Unison members should not engage with planning for a return on 1 June. Schools with a confirmed case of coronavirus can contact DfE’s dedicated schools coronavirus helpline on 0800 046 8687 to seek advice on what action is needed. In addition, individuals shouldn’t have to work where they reasonably believe that they (or others) face serious and imminent danger. It follows a longer statement addressed to the secretary of state for education on Friday (8 May), which fully detailed the principles and tests necessary for the safe reopening of schools. The NEU – the UK's largest teachers' union – and Unison, which represents support staff, have said their members should "await further union advice" on school reopenings before engaging with the planning process. Note you may also be able to access financial support from the charity if you need it. The risks are too high. Yesterday, Education Minister Kirsty Williams, said schools will move to online learning until 18 January but UNISON says there is no way the essential preparatory work to ensure schools are safe to re-open to all pupils could be undertaken by then. They will be able to advise you of your rights at work under Health and Safety legislation. More than one in five (23%) support staff say primary schools have operated class sizes bigger than the 15 pupils per group maximum recommended to Unions with members in the education sector today (Wednesday) published a joint statement on the safe reopening of schools. Headteachers should be satisfied that the person has the appropriate skills, expertise and experience to carry out the work, and discuss and agree any proposed changes in role or responsibility with the member of staff. Reopening schools could fuel pandemic and put staff at serious risk, unions warn. There is additional advice published by the Department for Education on cleaning the environment, which includes toys and equipment. It follows a longer statement addressed to the secretary of state for education on Friday (8 May), which fully detailed the principles and tests necessary for the safe reopening of schools. We will continue to place pressure on the Government and employers to ensure this. School employers have a legal duty to make sure that a risk assessment has been undertaken to identify the measures needed to reduce the risks from coronavirus (COVID-19) so far as is reasonably practicable and make the school COVID-secure. This means that if you are employed under Green Book terms and conditions and are required to self-isolate you will continue to receive your normal pay. “We don’t believe there will be enough cleaning staff to fulfil the mammoth task of keeping schools clean. Agency staff will, alongside other school-employed staff, play a vital role and UNISON is arguing that you should be kept on full pay during this period. UNISON is concerned that the government is placing a heavy responsibly on schools without additional support and resources to deal with local outbreaks. In order to maintain PPA time, many schools operated an adjusted timetable, for example closing classrooms to pupils for a day or afternoon a week, using that time for staff to take PPA and for the school to be deep cleaned. UNISON and the joint unions have produced a checklist which sets out what employers should demonstrate they have considered in establishing their arrangements for social distancing or minimising contacts and mixing. Educational provision is maintained for children during this time away from the classroom e.g. A key sentence in the DfE guidance is: ‘…discuss and agree any proposed changes in role or responsibility with the member of staff.’ Schools should not impose new roles or duties on staff. Districts also don’t need to wait for the county to get out and stay out of the purple tier for two weeks before reopening. A risk assessment is the combined effort of identifying and analysing potential hazards and dangers that may negatively impact individuals. UNISON urges co-operation over reopening schools UNISON is calling on the government to work with the union urgently, to help ensure that schools can re-open safely in the autumn. UNISON believes that all staff should be allowed to test as early as possible after suspected contamination, as this will limit potential cross infection. Department for Education guidance does not mention schools carrying out individual risk assessments for vulnerable school staff – despite the fact that government advice for businesses reopening advises them to consider vulnerable groups. UNISON believes that the safety of staff and pupils working in special schools is paramount. The DfE guidance has specific advice on test and trace – see ‘Section 1: Public health advice to minimise coronavirus (COVID-19) risks’ – point 9. It is important that face coverings are used in addition to other protective measures and that wearing them does not lead to the relaxation of social distancing and regular hand washing, etc. All schools should keep supplies of transparent face coverings. UNISON continues to urge employers to take real action to support staff with their mental health. Schools must take steps to provide remote learning to students who are not in school or college. Please contact your branch and let them know. The point of a bubble is to minimise the risk of infection by minimising contact and mixing and to allow easier identification of contacts. In addition, individuals shouldn‘t have to work where they reasonably believe that they (or others)  face serious and imminent danger. If your mental health has been affected, or if you just want to talk to someone, there are lots of options. Your school has a legal requirement to update its risk assessment to include additional/revised control measures needed for the school to remain open safely and to consult with trade unions. Six unions are urging the government to "pause" the return of pupils to classrooms until the they can guarantee their safety. Coronavirus Education Staff: Evidence re scrutiny of reopening of schools and ELC settings and associated issues 4 June 2020 Kay Sillars UNISON’s survey of education staff shows the vast majority are anxious about plans for more children to return to schools and nurseries. The importance of these measures cannot be overstated. Please ensure your school has a copy. For this to work, groups need to be as consistent and as small as possible. These models will help schools provide parents with student schedules for in person learning. Some have also called for school staff to be prioritised for vaccines. If you have issues with your employer, please urgently raise them with your rep or local branch for advice and assistance. If the Department for Education is to advise early years providers to continue to provide care while instructing other education providers to close, it must provide a clear and unequivocal scientific basis for doing so. Joint Statement on the Future Wider Reopening of Schools. During this time many staff have stretched the boundaries of their job roles to help schools out while vulnerable colleagues were forced to stay away from work or while other colleagues were re-assigned to other areas. image caption Schools in England began reopening to some year groups in June. 0-5 year olds continue to have the lowest confirmed rates of coronavirus of all age groups, and there is no evidence that the new variant of coronavirus disproportionately affects young children. The DfE latest advice states that all children and young people with an EHC Plan are vulnerable. The Government introduced the NHS COVID-19 App in England and Wales to support the Test and Trace system. It is signed by AEP, GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, NSEAD, Prospect, UNISON and Unite. Unions with members in the education sector are today (Wednesday) publishing a joint statement on the safe reopening of schools. Notify all staff and keep them updated on any development. The Department for Education (DfE) wants children back in primary schools in a phased reopening starting next month, ... and the public service union Unison… Reopening schools while social distancing children will be ‘painstaking’, admits medical chief. UNISON, UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AY. UNISON does not believe that it is either possible or appropriate for a special school, college or alternative provision to be able to remain open to all pupils whilst ensuring the health and safety of pupils, carers and staff during the lockdown. The DfE’s guidance has a section called ‘Prevention’ which specifically deals with this. It causes an impact in the spreading rate of the disease," he said. Under the new lockdown rules all clinically extremely vulnerable employees should now be working from home (or working from home on full pay if their role cannot be done from home). With rising transmission rates in primary schools we are also calling for urgent consideration of a requirement for face coverings in the classroom in primary school (with exemptions)  as is the case in countries such as France. Speaking at a London hospital rolling out the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the first time today, Boris Johnson said the government is "doing everything we can to protect teachers". If you have any concerns, contact your local rep or your branch. School Reopening Plan School Schedule Model. Rushed government reopening plans have led to guidelines on ‘safe’ class sizes being ignored by some schools, according to a survey published by UNISON today (Friday). However UNISON believes that the school meals service is vital and we cannot lose valuable skilled members of staff who will be needed once the pandemic is over. A collective group risk assessment will not be sufficient in identifying individual risk. The government also needs to increase the short-term funding support to early years settings during this second wave to ensure that we have a sustainable sector when demand returns to normal. However we are in dialogue with the Department for Education and await updated guidance on these settings, which we will respond to and update members as soon as possible. Unison head of education Jon Richards said: "The Government must end its bitty, piecemeal approach and act decisively by delaying the start of term for all schools … But we don’t believe this should be necessary and the employer should facilitate your request for flexible working to facilitate your childcare responsibilities. UNISON believes the DfE guidance for schools on carrying out risk assessments is inadequate. After the tireless efforts of UNISON branches, reps and members, the government has finally closed most schools to all except vulnerable and key workers’ children. In this situation there is no expectation that active teaching takes place. Risk assessments should decide whether PPE is necessary. If you have not been spoken to about your risk assessment or had a risk assessment prior to your school opening, you should speak to your head teacher and request that a risk assessment is done before you return to work. This would not be fair on staff or pupils. UNISON is working with others to apply maximum pressure on the government to change the system. UNISON at a national level is continuously monitoring the situation. The DfE has not issued specific advice to schools about employees whose children are unable to return to school. All children should be educated in the setting that is most appropriate to their needs. We are calling for a review of the size of so called ‘bubbles’ and restricting further the number of children in these groups. UNISON is concerned that the very limited measures in the DfE guidance mean social distancing in schools will realistically be very difficult and very little PPE will be provided. Statement passed at Tower Hamlets Unison Schools Meeting on 15 April All education workers are understandably angered and shocked by the government’s plans for a reckless wider reopening of schools on June 1. Primary schools in the Tier 4 areas hardest hit by the new coronavirus variant are due to open on 18 January. UNISON is very concerned that the government’s outsourced testing and tracing system is not currently fit for purpose. Rather, pupils should carry out a pre-prepared exercise under supervision. It Maximum efforts need to be made to ensure that there is a fully integrated system nationally and locally. Teaching assistants may also be deployed to lead groups or cover lessons, under the direction and supervision of a qualified, or nominated, teacher (under the Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012 for maintained schools and non-maintained special schools and in accordance with the freedoms provided under the funding agreement for academies). Unison will negotiate with providers who are struggling on how they can get the bet from these schemes and save jobs. Unison, GMB and NASUWT have also all called for the reopening of all schools to be postponed. If you are concerned about safety issues in your school or think that agreements are not being followed, please get in touch with your local UNISON branch. That's in no one's interest. DfE guidance does allow for settings to reduce capacity when staffing is a problem. UNISON believes that all early years settings will need to review their risk assessments as a result of the increased transmissibility of the new variant of COVID-19 and the increased risk to staff. In the worst-case scenario, there are legal rights to unpaid leave in some cases. whole year bubbles, staff working across bubbles) and places too many burdens on schools, without providing them with necessary additional resources to reduce risks, for example increased cleaning. The principles and tests include (see notes for the full statement): Safety and welfare of pupils and staff as the paramount principle Today’s statement is signed by GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, … If you have any concerns about your educational setting or need support please contact your branch for advice. No. Download UNISON guidance for special schools/colleges and alternative provision. are still being paid by the school, so contracted staff should be fully paid. The prime minister has announced an easing of lockdown and the relaxation of … This includes statutory home to school transport, but may also include some existing or new commercial travel routes, where they carry school pupils only, by public transport services, they mean routes which are also used by the general public, how pupils are grouped together on transport, where possible this should reflect the bubbles that are adopted within school, use of hand sanitiser upon boarding and/or disembarking is to be available, organised queuing and boarding where possible, distancing within vehicles wherever possible, through ventilation, fresh air (from outside the vehicle) is maximised, particularly through opening windows and ceiling vents, that children and young people aged 11 and over use face coverings when travelling on dedicated transport, Review their transport provider’s risk assessment, Make arrangements for supervision of social distancing and measures on face coverings and seating on school transport, Make arrangements for additional cleaning of vehicles. Any member of staff volunteering for this duty must be given full training and an individual risk assessment – see the joint union guide for vulnerable employees. On 5 Jan, both England and Scotland went into lockdown. Schools are being urged "not to engage with planning" for a return on 1 June, and instead await further advice from education unions. If you receive a notification from your employer that says you hours will be cut or you are in danger of losing your job, contact your local branch straight away for advice. Meanwhile parents in several Tier 4 areas were confused today as to why their children are being made to return to primary school - when those in London and the South East are shut until later this month due to high case rates. The risks are too high. Contact your local UNISON branch immediately if you are required to work without a risk assessment being carried out. To read in full go to: www.tuc.org.uk/news/education-unions-statement-safe-reopening-schools Some have also called for school staff to be prioritised for vaccines. But he said the "issue is not the safety of the schools", rather that the "anxiety of the government is any activity" where households mix indoors and spread the disease - including schools. Introduction. Contact the Local Health Protection Team for advice and support, Provide the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including appropriate face masks for those responsible for decontaminating the school. TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "The government's own advice from SAGE makes it clear that opening schools to all pupils now risks increasing the infection rate. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis school staff have gone above and beyond to keep schools running and support children and young people. In light of the important change in the Government’s position, which we welcome, some previous national health and safety advice no longer applies. Government guidance outlines the key workers who must remain active to deliver this education provision in England, which includes childcare, support and teaching staff, social workers and specialist education professio… capability etc. Talk to your UNISON branch if you are unsure what your rights are. You can also contact your local UNISON health and safety rep or local branch for further information and support. by dedicated school transport, they mean services that are used only to carry pupils to school. If you are instructed to carry out deep cleaning duties and you are not employed as a cleaner you should make clear to your manager that this is not your role. If you have issues with your employer, please raise them with your UNISON rep or local branch for advice and assistance. Settings will also need to re-assess the risk to vulnerable staff and allow home working where possible. Any arrangement for a HLTA to lead a class should be reviewed and agreed with the staff member on at least a fortnightly basis. It follows a longer statement addressed to the secretary of state for education on Friday (8 May), which fully detailed the principles and tests necessary for the safe reopening of schools. UNISON Scotland will post updates on its website and Facebook page. Pupils sitting GCSE and A-Level exams this year are due to go back on 11 January, with the rest of secondary school year groups returning on 18 January. Unions with members in the education sector today (Wednesday) published a joint statement on the safe reopening of schools. However, on advice from PHE, the DfE have updated their guidance for schools to state that all children aged 11 and over should wear face coverings on dedicated transport. 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