Harrogate schools on track to reopen in June despite safety concerns

New Stray photos show repair work progress at West Park in Harrogate

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) is supporting Government proposals to reopen schools from the beginning of June, saying schools in the region will undergo a rigorous risk assessment before they welcome back students in Year 1 and Year 6 - although 11 other councils, including Calderdale, have said they are not supporting the plans.

But the Government has now said that whilst it is hoping to have many schools open by June 1, this is not a fixed date and it does not expect a “uniform approach” from all schools.

It comes amid warnings from unions that doing so would put both teachers and pupils at risk of contracting coronavirus.

Stuart Carlton, Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Service at NYCC, said: “In line with Government guidance, schools will undertake a risk assessment in order to plan appropriate safety measures, which will also tell us if there are any schools in the county which can’t implement appropriate measures.

“We are working with the schools, head teachers and the unions to support the preparation of schools and the decision to open by the headteacher and governing body.”

Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the UK’s second-largest education union, said members supported schools reopening, but only if they could be made “covid secure”.

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“The bottom line is that no teacher or child should be expected to go into schools until it can be demonstrated that it is safe for them to do so,” he said.

One Harrogate headteacher, Chris Parkhouse of Grove Road Community Primary School said he supported this stance - saying he will do whatever is necessary to protect the safety of his staff, pupils and parents.

The school will be undertaking a risk assessment with support from the local authority to ascertain what can be safely offered in June.

Mr Parkhouse told the Harrogate Advertiser: “I feel I have an overall responsibility for the children, staff and our collective families across the community – a responsibility for the health, safety and well-being of potentially thousands of people.

“I will act with integrity and conviction to protect what I believe is in the best interests of safety for our children, staff and community.”

The county council has said it is responding to reopening concerns from headteachers and parents with queries ranging from school transport to cleaning - and the decision will be made on a school-by-school basis.