An overwhelming majority of teachers believe opening schools to more pupils from 1 June would not be safe, according to a new union survey.

In a letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson, Patrick Roach, head of the NASUWT teachers’ union, said on the basis of information and evidence currently available, “we remain unconvinced that wider reopening of schools from 1 June is appropriate or practicable”.

He added that crunch talks with scientific advisers on 15 May “did not provide the necessary information or assurance” that schools should reopen to more pupils from next month.

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The NASUWT survey, which received 29,000 responses from the union’s members, found that 85 per cent of teachers do not think it will be safe to return to school on 1 June.

In his letter to Mr Williamson, Dr Roach said it is now “imperative” that the government “takes every available opportunity to provide the necessary assurances that teachers are seeking”.

“Teachers are also clear that the government must provide the scientific evidence and modelling on which the decision for the phased reopening of schools from 1 June is predicated, ” he said.

The letter states: “It is evident that further work is needed urgently by the government to secure the trust and confidence of teachers in meeting your aim to secure the wider reopening of schools from 1 June. The meeting with the government’s scientific advisors held on 15 May 2020 did not provide the necessary information or assurances.

“We note that the government continues to assert that it is privy to scientific advice from SAGE which indicates that it is safe to reopen schools to more children. We are also aware from the limited published materials available that SAGE has considered schools on a number of occasions.

“However, there is very little information in the public domain on the detail of these considerations.

“Whilst the government may assert that the aim to reopen schools from 1 June 2020 is based on the scientific evidence/advice, in practice the decisions to reopen schools rest with employers in consultation with staff and unions.

“To this end, it is essential that the information and evidence on which the government is relying is now provided to the stakeholders who will be responsible for the consequences of decisions on the wider reopening of schools.”

Dr Roach set out three key “urgent and necessary actions” that NASUWT believes the Department for Education (DfE) must take, including to:

• ensure that employers discharge fully their statutory obligations in respect of the health and welfare of staff and pupils;
• make clear to all schools and colleges the actions that they are required to take to prevent/minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission;
• affirm the actions it will follow to monitor and review schools’ effective compliance on measures to safeguard the health and safety of staff and pupils.

“I look forward to an early opportunity to discuss in detail your response to teachers’ concerns in order that we can move forward confidently in the interests of all children and young people,” he added.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• 95 per cent of teachers expressed concern and anxiety about the government’s plans for the wider reopening of schools
• 92 per cent of teachers believe that social distancing will not be possible to achieve or will present a major issue in schools
• 91 per cent of teachers are not confident about the proposed measures to protect their health or the health of children
• 87 per cent of teachers believe that PPE is essential to protect against the transmission of the virus in schools
• 92 per cent of teachers did not feel reassured by the government’s announcements that it will be safe for more pupils to return to school/college from 1 June  
• On the government’s advice that children and young people should remain in the same small groups at all times each day, and different groups are not mixed during the day, or on subsequent days, 72 per cent of teachers did not believe that this was workable/practical in their school/college
• On the government’s advice that schools should reduce children mixing by staggering lunch breaks or by bringing lunch into classrooms, 48 per cent of teachers said that this was not workable/practical in their school/college
• On the government’s advice that schools should ensure that toilets do not become crowded by limiting the number of children or young people who use the toilet facilities at one time, 64 per cent of teachers said that this was not workable/practical in their school/college 
• 87 per cent of teachers disagreed with the government’s advice for schools and colleges that PPE is not required 
• On the government advice that classes should be halved to assist with social distancing, 91 per cent of teachers said that this did not give them confidence about the measures to protect their health and the health of children
• 87 per cent of teachers said their employer had not shared with all staff a workplace risk assessment 

A DfE spokesperson said: “We want children back in schools as soon as possible because being with their teachers and friends is so important for their education and their wellbeing. 

“Plans for a cautious, phased return of some year groups from 1 June, at the earliest, are based on the best scientific and medical advice. The welfare of children and staff has been at the heart of all decision making. 

“We have engaged closely with a range of relevant organisations, including  the unions, throughout the past eight weeks, including organising for them to hear directly from the government’s scientific advisers last Friday, and will continue to do so.

“We have also published detailed guidance on the protective measures schools should take to reduce the risk of transmission.”