Government move on school bubbles welcomed by Shropshire chief
The Government's move to end the need for hundreds of pupils to self-isolate has been welcomed by an academy head.
Dr Gill Eatough, chief executive of the Learning Community Trust, said the challenges with Covid had occupied every waking moment of headteachers' time over the past 16 months.
She hoped changes to the rules announced by the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson would also allow schools to bring back some of their most valued activities, such as drama, concerts, and school trips, and put an end to the disruption of pupils' education.
The Government announced the school 'bubble' system is to end from July 19.
The Learning Community Trust looks after around 5,500 pupils across eight schools in the county – with more than 1,000 members of staff.
It includes secondaries Charlton School, Ercall Wood Academy, and HLC Secondary in Telford, as well as Crudgington Primary, HLC Primary, and Wrekin View Primary, along with Queensway School and Severndale Academy.
Figures from Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Councils have today revealed that as many as 2,000 pupils are currently off school self-isolating in the county.
Dr Eatough said: "I think we will welcome that return to normality, being able to run our schools normally and keep our children in school.
"The last couple of weeks has been quite a challenge if you look at the numbers across the country.
"We do have work to do to make sure parents and staff feel comfortable and confident but I am sure it is where me and my colleagues want to be.
"We have to treat Covid like any other illness where pupils go home if they are poorly and we keep all the other children in school."
Dr Eatough spoke of the impact of the current situation on pupils, parents – and staff.
She said: "Parents are getting so fed up. They have just had enough and it is impacting the economy with parents having to take time off to look after children.
"However good we are with remote learning it is not the same, and you look at some schools in the country and some children have had 10 to 12 periods of isolation. You cannot keep going on like that, you have to change it.
"To be able to bring back drama, music productions, concerts, trips, all of the things we have not been able to do for two years. Christmas 2019 was the last time we did that kind of major extra curricular programme and it is part of the school life that children really enjoy.
"It is good news and it is good to hear this now before we finish for the summer holiday so we all know what we are doing in September."
She added: "What has been irritating for us is where we have staff who are double vaccinated and if they are pinged on the test and trace app you are told they have to isolate even though they are double vaccinated which causes another level of disruption.
"You have to look at the costs of bringing in supply teachers, children are not having their usual teachers, it is another level of difficulty for the system."
Dr Eatough said the impact on staff in terms of organising had been huge.
She said: "It is the fact that every head in every one of my schools spends every waking moment waiting for a parent to contact them, or a member of staff to say 'I have got Covid', or 'I have symptoms', or 'I am waiting for a test result'.
"It will just stop all that because you cannot believe how much of that we have had to deal with for the last two years, it has been relentless."
