Horsham Schools' Protest: Parents and Teachers Find Uneasy Resolution

Parent-campaigners and teachers at two primary schools in Horsham have reached an uneasy agreement, after a push to have all year-groups return to the classroom.

Hopeful children and parents in the town mounted a socially-distanced protest on Monday (June 29) as frustrations grew that only a limited number of pupils were able to go back to two schools, after they'd earlier believed everyone could return.

Some parents with children at Kingslea and Heron Way primary schools said they'd been told that the schools had informed West Sussex County Council they could safely welcome all their children, in 'bubbles' of no more than 15 pupils.

But the families claim that County Hall refused permission for all but Reception and years 1 and 6 to return, and gave this notice to the schools as recently as last Thursday (June 25).

Campaigners said today (July 1):

"The sticking point seems to be whether the school should HAVE to provide full time places for Years 1 and 6 before it can offer part time education to other children. 

"The Department for Education's guidance is far from clear, but does indicate that it is just that — guidance — and schools 'can follow alternative approaches for wider opening'."

"The children were excited by the prospect of returning to class and seeing the school year out with their teachers and friends.

"Having to explain to them at the very last minute that they were not going back was devastating. 

"They have been left confused and upset after what has been an unsettling time for all of us.

"We need to consider their emotional wellbeing as well as their access to education."

West Sussex County Council said its support could have been misinterpreted, and — at this stage — only years 1 and 6 were able to be in classrooms.

A spokesperson claimed:

"We have been supporting all West Sussex schools to follow Government guidance and prioritise provision for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

"The latest national guidance is clear that this should be on a full-time basis for these core groups, and that only if schools then have additional capacity they can accommodate pupils from other year groups, if their own risk assessment shows this can be safely managed.

"We have made this clear to all schools, including Kingslea and Heron Way, and it is unfortunate that there had been some misinterpretation of the government's guidance on inviting all pupils to return on a part-time basis, something the council is not able to support."

Campaigners replied, criticising what they said was differing guidance from County Hall and the government:

"Whilst disappointed, we would like to publicly take this opportunity to reaffirm our support for our headteachers and the plans they tried so hard to make work, with contradictory guidance from local and national government. 

"This matter has exposed dysfunction in local government and destructively vague guidance from the Department for Education."