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So, we revealed today that the school tiers are going down the drain. And not a soul made it beyond Tier 1 (of 4). How did this happen? If you can bear to relive it with me, I'll attempt to piece it all together... (1/16)
Picture it: 28 August 2020. Eat Out to Help Out is still a thing. Life is... well, it's not rock bottom. Meanwhile, @educationgovuk reveals its "worst-case scenario" plan for Covid spikes in the form of a four-tiered system for keeping schools open https://www.tes.com/news/dfe-reveals-worst-case-scenario-plan-covid-spikes (2/16)
This was:
Tier 1: Face masks in secondary communal areas
Tier 2: Secondaries on rota system
Tier 3: Secondaries open only to vulnerable & key worker kids & some yr groups
Tier 4: All settings open only to vulnerable & key worker kids, except AP and special schools
(3/16)
Tier 1: Face masks in secondary communal areasTier 2: Secondaries on rota systemTier 3: Secondaries open only to vulnerable & key worker kids & some yr groupsTier 4: All settings open only to vulnerable & key worker kids, except AP and special schools(3/16)
The DfE also publishes specific guidance on how schools can plan for Tier 2 (rotas). This is important – they are TOLD to prepare: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-schools-can-plan-for-tier-2-local-restrictions/how-schools-can-plan-for-tier-2-local-restrictions (4/16)
Fast forward to October, and things have gone steeply downhill. The govt introduces a new local Covid alert system to "simplify" restrictions. It has three tiers: medium, high and very high. This is separate from the school system. The two don't interact, the DfE says (5/16)
But the problem is, this move is deeply confusing for schools. ASCL leader @RealGeoffBarton warns the two separate and unconnected tiered systems are "baffling" for them https://www.tes.com/news/pms-covid-tiers-are-baffling-schools-say-heads (6/16)
And the DfE's claim that they don't interact doesn't actually make sense. @tes does some digging and finds areas given the Covid alert level of "high" or "very high" fall under Tier 1 of the school system. So these schools must make masks mandatory https://www.tes.com/news/exclusive-masks-mandatory-hundreds-more-secondaries (7/16)
Ok, so now we know which schools are in Tier 1. What about Tiers 2, 3 and 4? Schools have been asked to plan for rotas - under which circumstances will they become necessary? The DfE won't say, even as we enter lockdown #2 https://www.tes.com/news/frustration-missing-school-rotas-covid-guidance (8/16)
Despite mounting pressure from major education unions to allow them, the DfE says there are "no plans" to move schools on to rota systems https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-covid-19-no-plan-introduce-rotas-government-says (9/16)
As we move through November, schools in Covid hotspots are getting desperate. Attendance in Hull drops to 65 per cent, with more than one in six teachers also off. And @tes learns that the DfE rejected heads' urgent calls to allow rotas https://www.tes.com/news/exclusive-covid-hotspot-school-attendance-down-65 (10/16)
With tensions mounting, education secretary @GavinWilliamson and health secretary @MattHancock write to local public health directors telling them they should not move schools on to rotas during the national lockdown https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-must-stay-open-lockdown-health-chiefs-told (11/16)
When another academy trust announces plans to close its 15 schools in the North West and West Yorkshire a week early for Christmas, it is forced into a U-turn by the DfE https://www.tes.com/news/academies-have-no-freedoms-when-it-comes-covid (12/16)
That brings us to today. After three months of confusion, enough to drive you to tiers (ha), @tes learns the DfE is scrapping the four-tiered school system. Remember those plans schools were asked to make back in August? Straight in the bin https://www.tes.com/news/exclusive-coronavirus--covid-school-rotas-banned-dfe-ends-tiers (13/16)
When it originally announced the four-tiered system for schools, the DfE said: "Local authority leaders and directors of public health, alongside national government, would be at the centre of any decision making." But govt has clearly had enough of local demands (14/16)
So that's it. When the new system comes into force, schools will be open to all or shut to all except vulnerable pupils and children of key workers. "On or off," I am told. "You're open or you're closed, that's it – end of." And local health chiefs are out of the picture (15/16)
As for those rota plans? I'm not sure what to tell you. Wrapping paper, perhaps? (16/16)
