News

Transport dilemma puts full school re-opening at risk

Government policy Education policy Whole-school issues Coronavirus
Problems with transport and travel to and from school mean that official guidance for fully re-opening this September is likely to prove “unworkable” for secondary schools, an analysis has suggested.


Last week, the Department for Education (DfE) published its plans for how schools should approach full re-opening from September.

The plans, which headteachers described on Friday (July 3) as "mind-boggling” in their complexity are based around minimising infection risk by creating larger social bubbles of whole classes or even whole year groups.

This is necessary, the DfE says, if secondary schools are going to have the space and staffing to deliver the full curriculum from September.

Responding to the guidance, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said that school leaders will have to consider “implementing staggered starts, finishes, and lunch times, alongside transport to and from school, on an epic scale” in order to achieve a full return. The National Education Union called the challenge “immense”.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here