Two Peterborough city councillors write to Education secretary calling for rethink of return of pupils to primary schools

The city’s two Green Party councillors, Cllr Nicola Day - herself a teacher - and Cllr Julie Howell sent the letter via email this morning.

Under the current government guidelines for Tier 4 areas primary schools are due to return to classrooms next week and secondary schools will have a phased return.

Jonathan Lewis, Peterborough City Council’s director of education, has said primary schools across the city will reopen next week and secondary schools will have phased reopening plans in line with government advice.

In a letter sent out on Thursday (December 31) he told parents in the city: “We are monitoring the Covid-19 situation on a daily basis and we have, in conjunction with school leaders, taken appropriate action to limit the impact of positive cases by working closely with Public Health England and the Department for Education. Being in education is vital for children’s development and wellbeing.”

But in recent days pressure on the government to reconsider that advice in the face of rising case rates has grown and yesterday (January 2) a leading teaching union with members across Peterborough schools advised primary school staff not to return to classrooms due to unsafe conditions amid the pandemic.

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Now the city’s two Green Party councillors have taken the unusual step of writing directly to the Education Secretary.

The letter said: “Information posted on the Government’s website shows that as of 3rd January 2021, the rate of infections in Peterborough, a Tier 4 unitary authority, stands at 383.7 per 100k of the population.

“This number is certain to rise if primary schools are re-opened on Monday 4th January.

“As leader and deputy leader of the Green Party Group on Peterborough City Council, we are committed to ensuring that our children, school staff and wider communities are protected from the spread of COVID-19.

“Teachers want to be in the classroom teaching our children. However, it is not safe to open our schools when an uncontrolled virus is moving through the population.

“We respectfully request that you re-consider your position on face-to-face learning for all Tier 4 authorities, including Peterborough, and delay re-opening of all Tier 4 primary schools until such time as they achieve a lower tier status.