Northern health and education chiefs call for improvements to testing system amid covid delays

The teaching community in the North and Yorkshire needs an increased focus on testing as schools are being hampered by delays in covid tests, Northern health and education chiefs have said.

The plea to the Government comes as school leaders and governors have written jointly to the Prime Minister yesterday to express mounting concern about difficulties in obtaining Covid tests and accessing timely advice from local health protection teams.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the National Governance Association (NGA) warned of a “deep sense of foreboding about the potential for the system to become ever-more riddled with delays” and call on the Prime Minister to personally take charge of the situation.

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While backing the plea Henri Murison, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) director, said it was concerning that a lot of the Northern schools which are in high-transmission areas where testing systems are failing to cope, also have high levels of economic deprivation.

Pupils pictured wearing protective face masks at Outwood Academy Adwick in Doncaster, as schools reopened in England following the coronavirus lockdown. Photo credit: Danny Lawson/PAPupils pictured wearing protective face masks at Outwood Academy Adwick in Doncaster, as schools reopened in England following the coronavirus lockdown. Photo credit: Danny Lawson/PA
Pupils pictured wearing protective face masks at Outwood Academy Adwick in Doncaster, as schools reopened in England following the coronavirus lockdown. Photo credit: Danny Lawson/PA

He said: “Poorer pupils already lag behind their classmates and they are falling further and further behind when schools close, as they are less likely to have access to at-home support or technology. These children have been effectively hit by a triple-whammy of long-term disadvantage, school closures and now testing chaos."

Samantha Twiselton, deputy for the Doncaster opportunity area, one of three Yorkshire opportunity areas, alongside Bradford and the North Yorkshire Coast, added: “These children were already suffering disadvantage prior to covid - covid had just amplified that and if they are going to be doubly hammered because there is a higher infection rate and a lack of testing - all that is going to do is disrupt their education even more.

“Teachers should be prioritised like NHS workers."

Ms Twiselton said in the Doncaster opportunity area, after teachers had worked hard to get schools ready through the summer, there was a sense of being "let down" due to a failing and overstretched testing system.

Henri Murison, Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) director.  Photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe/ JPIMediaHenri Murison, Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) director.  Photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe/ JPIMedia
Henri Murison, Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) director. Photo credit: Jonathan Gawthorpe/ JPIMedia
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She said: "In Doncaster, I know school leaders put an enormous amount of effort into being as ready as they possibly could be - they did do absolutely everything that they could and followed all the Government guidance.

"But now they would be right to feel let down - the testing was such a cornerstone for working but that just doesn’t seem to be there."

Earlier this week Jules White, organiser of the WorthLess? network of over 5,000 heads, said there is growing frustration at the lack of access to testing.

The West Sussex head teacher, wrote to England’s Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and warned that efforts to get pupils back for the autumn term are being seriously undermined by a “test and trace system that is simply not working effectively enough”.

Professor Mahendra Patel, from the University of Bradford, who has led outreach work to BAME communities in Yorkshire and beyond during the coronavirus. Photo credit: The University of BradfordProfessor Mahendra Patel, from the University of Bradford, who has led outreach work to BAME communities in Yorkshire and beyond during the coronavirus. Photo credit: The University of Bradford
Professor Mahendra Patel, from the University of Bradford, who has led outreach work to BAME communities in Yorkshire and beyond during the coronavirus. Photo credit: The University of Bradford
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Tehmina Hashmi, head of Bradford Academy in West Yorkshire, who is supporting the letter, said after working hard to get the school ready through the summer, there is great “frustration” at what she says has been “inept leadership” over Covid testing.

Professor Mahendra Patel, from the University of Bradford, who has led outreach work to BAME communities in Yorkshire and beyond during the coronavirus, added: “There needs to be more testing for teachers... It is no different to the NHS front line workers. Teachers have got to have a effective track and trace system that is working.

“The Government have made it absolutely clear that education for the children is absolutely imperative, and catching up on learning they have lost out on.

"School leaders are doing everything they can to get kids back into school - get them the education and support they need but if this is not married with appropriate and efficient testing and resources available promptly then you are going to have a system that could potentially nose dive."

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