Headteachers will ask what will be done to keep vulnerable children from going hungry if schools are closed in response to the coronavirus emergency, when they meet the education secretary for talks today.
Gavin Williamson is meeting with the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the NAHT school leaders’ union and the Confederation of School Trusts this afternoon to discuss the response to the crisis.
Geoff Barton, ASCL’s general secretary, said the union would ask what contingencies will be put in place to ensure children in poverty do not go hungry and vulnerable children are safeguarded if schools do close.
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Mr Barton also said he would highlight concerns about the challenge of keeping schools open when a growing number of staff are self-isolating, and the need for answers about what will happen to this year’s exams and national tests.
He said: “We welcome the opportunity to speak to the secretary of state for education today about the implications for schools and colleges of the coronavirus emergency with the aim of working together to support the learning and wellbeing of children and young people during this crisis.
“The concerns we will be raising with him are the challenges of keeping open schools and colleges when a growing number of staff are away from work because they are self-isolating; the potential for disruption to GCSE and A levels, and what contingencies will be put in place; and how we ensure children in poverty do not go hungry and that vulnerable young people are safeguarded if schools are closed.”
The question of what happens to pupils’ free school meals in the event of school closures has been raised by headteachers in the past week.
Essex headteacher Vic Goddard has asked if schools can use free school meal funding to issue supermarket vouchers to allow families to feed children during the crisis if schools are shut down. He has raised this with the Department for Education (DfE) and his local council.
Ahead of today’s talks between headteachers’ organisations and the DfE, Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the NAHT, said: “School leaders are obviously concerned about the impact on exams and assessments but, right now, their main priority is keeping children safe.
“It’s important that we all work together to do the maximum we can. We will be working jointly with the secretary of state to establish a credible plan for schools and colleges in the coming weeks.
“School leaders and their teams are determined to play their part in the national civic response to this crisis.”
