‘We’re taking each day as it comes’: First day of coronavirus Leeds school closures

And as home-schooling suddenly becomes the norm rather than an alternative, thoughts are already turning to the aftermath as world leaders warned it had become “unsafe” to keep schools open amid the threat of Covid-19.

School lockdown

Coun Jonathan Pryor said education chiefs had been taking “every day as it comes” prior to the Prime Minister ordering the nationwide shut down last Wednesday.

Coun Pryor told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “Some schools had closed already, teachers were self-isolating and they couldn’t get enough staff into the building. That forced the government’s hand, it became impossible for schools to carry on in the same manner.”

Last week saw headteachers at primary and secondary level frantically drawing up programmes of work to be done at home, with concern about the effects it would have on results and learning.

Rebecca White, of Sharp Lane Primary, said staff had been working until beyond 8pm at night to make sure parents were up to date before meeting early the next day to brief staff before the school day.

Unchartered territory

She added: “Guidance has been in short supply as the picture is changing rapidly, I have been taking phone calls and emails from headteachers at local schools, governors and other professionals as we all try to navigate our way through unchartered territory and share ideas for ways forward.”

Mr Pryor said: “The effect on education and results will be taken into account but conversations on that are at a very early stage. We are taking each day as it comes and we have discussions about where this will go but it will definitely change how exam results are awarded.”

He added that if schools are allowed back around the May half term break, it may be that schools open throughout that but that the Government is suggesting schools may be off until the next academic year. There have been discussions around the Holiday Hunger programme, which operates during school holidays to help financially struggling families, for that to be duplicated.

School places

In addition to a new way of education for their children, starting today, there are a number of parents across the city anxiously waiting to find out which secondary school their son or daughter has been allocated.

The number of pupils due to enter year 7 in September 2021 stands at 10,141 and the current number of year 7 to 11 pupils is 42,915 - discounting special or alternative provision.

This year there were just over 60 year 6 pupils who didn’t get their preferred choice of secondary school from the Middleton and Belle Isle area, the most affected area, and they were put into the system for re-allocation.

Coronavirus aside, school place allocation is one of three big issues that have become a real challenge for the council.

Coun Pryor said: “If the pupils don’t get the school they go back into the system and are allocated the nearest school with a free place. Schools are so full across the city that the nearest free place might be Seacroft. It shows just how full the system is.

“Every year it can be different. It depends on parents preferences. We work to try to create the places where we think they are needed but it is difficult to get it exactly right. In East Leeds some parents may preference Roundhay, for example, and then sometimes don’t put a second preference.”

To try and re-allocate more suitably, since 2015 an extra 1500 extra secondary school places have been created in South Leeds alone. After offer day there are usually two or three places in many schools that are declined so that frees up some places.

Logistical nightmare

Each case on a waiting list is to be looked at one by one but the system as a whole is a “logistical nightmare” as the council’s education department also has to juggle funding and restrictions placed on its decision making by central government.

Coun Pryor said: “The government changes the rules and the funding. We are not allowed to build new schools and academies have their own admission policies.

“If they left us with the money but took away our power, we could work with academies. If they took the money but left us to open new schools, we could have used existing council land and borrowed against the money that would come in per pupil.

“But the Government have taken both the power and the money from Councils, but left us with the responsibility of finding the places. Without money or power it makes it a logistical nightmare.”

It is set to get worse, he added, as Leeds has one of the fastest growing populations in the country.

“The population is growing across the country but in Leeds it is growing particularly fast. If the population was static it would be less of a problem. We’re working hard to open two new schools, one in East Leeds and one in South Leeds as soon as we can.”

He warned that in a few years this would have a knock on effect on further education so discussions are taking place about expanding colleges.

Benton Park

School places are one of the three biggest issues in the city’s education system - the others are under-funding and the backlog of repairs that both primary and secondary schools are desperately in need of.

For years Benton Park has been in need of rebuilding but the council has had to dig around to raise the £28m needed for the project - that was eventually submitted to planners last month.

He added that Wetherby High School and Royds at Rothwell were the other two schools that needed rebuilding but the only way to get the money is by becoming an academy and that was not a route schools wanted to take.

Leeds City Council is allocated £6m for school maintenance - but there is a backlog of repairs that currently stands at £100m, not including the Wetherby and Royds rebuild.

However, and especially in light of current circumstances, Coun Pryor paid tribute to those working within the city’s education system, which he said was doing “an incredible job”.

He added: “Teaching is a really difficult job and I have seen how stressful it is. When people go into teaching, it is a real calling, they really want to do it and make a difference. That is why teachers in Leeds have such passion and it is evident to see.

“The teaching profession has been made more difficult and people that stick with it - I have so much respect for them.”