Primary schools told they can open to all year groups with 15-pupil limit on class size
PRIMARY schools will be allowed to open to all year groups with with a 15-pupil limit on class size, ministers will reportedly announce.
Children of all ages could return before the summer if schools have the space and number of staff needed to accommodate the new rules which will be announced this week.
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But teaching unions have warned that a 15-pupil cap on class sizes would be "logistically impossible", reports the .
They argue that schools would need "double the classrooms and double the teachers" if all pupils returned before the summer break.
This comes as a senior forecaster said the closure of schools may have cost the UK economy £22 billion.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has promised a “catch-up” programme for those who have missed months of education would have “massive importance - not just for economic purposes, but for social justice.”
Secondary pupils for Year 10 and Year 12 will be allowed to return on Monday but only 25 per cent of kids are allowed in the building at any one time.
Primary kids from Year One and Year Six were allowed to return on June 1.
School heads will only be allowed to accept some of the country’s four million Primary pupils back if there is capacity and staggered drop-off times are maintained.
LIMIT CLASS SIZES
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is also coming under increasing pressure to get all pupils back full-time after the summer break.
Whitehall officials are drawing up a “minimum curriculum criteria” to aid home learning - indicating not all students will be back for the new school year.
Mr Williamson is now working directly with the Prime Minister to establish a long-term package of measures for children who have lost out due to the pandemic.
Maths is totting up
TEENAGERS are logging onto maths lessons in record numbers since lockdown started.
Three hundred thousand pupils have been watching the five-minute ‘pods’ to enhance their learning away from the classroom.
The surge comes as the GCSEPod now provides daily online maths and learning through BBC Bitesize.
Some 80,000 questions were attempted in a maths challenge last month compared to just 46,584 in February.
The online tool provides auto-marking and feedback to students allowing teachers to check on progress.
Co-founder and Director of GCSEPod Anthony Coxon said: “The surge in demand for high-quality online content has never been greater, and it is wonderful to see such a peak of interest in Maths.
“Not only that, but with exams cancelled and ongoing uncertainty around when schools will re-open fully, students have taken matters into their own hands, flocking to test themselves to keep track of their own learning.
“Whilst schools are welcoming Year 10 students back in for some face-to-face contact from next week, we mustn’t lose sight of young people who are in Year 9.”
Mr Johnson has stressed his concern that some disadvantaged children don’t have the necessary support or technology at home to help them.
He has told Ministers that children must make up for as much lost time as possible and ordered plans to be drawn up rapidly.
Officials have been told to work on plans for the summer holidays and September onwards.
Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield has warned of a massive “educational gap” by kids being shut out of school.
Meanwhile, independent primary schools are expected to bring back extra pupils this week following a “lack of clarity” from Ministers.
Christopher King, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools, said schools were likely to adopt their own approach to pupils’ return.
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A Number 10 source said: “The PM is acutely aware that school closures will have a disproportionate impact on all children, and particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children.
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“He appreciates the consequences of months out of school, and this package will be focused on providing extended support for children.
“The PM is so grateful for the hard work of teachers, parents and schools to keep educating children throughout this difficult period.”
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