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Schools battle to stay open as ash cloud hits
Using ICT to engage with your parents
A new resource from education innovators Futurelab offers case studies and advice on how schools can use ICT to engage with parents
Page 10
by Chris Parr
Schools across the UK were battling to stay open this week as the volcanic ash cloud that has engulfed the country left thousands of teachers and students stranded. All flights in and out of the coun-
try were grounded last Thursday (April 15), when many school staff were still making the most of the Easter break. On Tuesday (April 20), airports
in the north of Scotland were re- opening, with a number of short- haul flights taking off. Airports in northern England were hoping to follow suit by the early evening. However, as SecEd went to press, a new ash cloud was reported head- ing towards the UK threatening further chaos. The disruption has raised a
Tackling criminality
What role do schools have to play in tackling risky behaviours, including criminality, in children? Two academics analyse the latest research and discuss best practice
Pages 8 and 9
number of concerns for schools, with many incurring extra costs for bringing in supply staff, and others fearful of the repercussions for stu- dents preparing for exams. Mike Griffiths, headteacher at
Northampton School for Boys, had nine teachers stranded in Trinidad and Tobago and Japan, taking part in a school cricket tour and a cultur- al exchange. A further four teachers were stuck in the USA, Turkey and Jordan. He told us: “Our cover manager
SecEd’s election coverage continues this week with reports from Wales and Northern Ireland, a look at the Tory and Lib Dem manifesto launches, and a report from the televised leadership debate
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has brilliantly organised eight sup- ply staff in addition to our usual five cover supervisors so that the total cover required to be done by teach- ers is just six lessons. So logisti- cally, we have responded well – but at what cost? “Will we be reimbursed by
insurers, or will they regard it as an act of God? Do we dock pay and ask teachers to submit claims to their insurers for loss of earnings?” One union urged schools and local authorities not to dock teach-
Readers’ stories
Eruption: The ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland has brought air traffic to a standstill, leaving teachers and students stranded
ing salaries, claiming that the situa- tion was “unavoidable”. Chris Keates, general secretary
of the NASUWT, added: “The last thing teachers should be worrying about while they are struggling to find a way back to the UK and to work is threats from their employer about pay deduction. “There is absolutely no reason to
doubt that these teachers would have returned to work had conditions allowed. Teachers are being made easy targets because they have no choice but to take their holiday all at the same time and consequently the impact on schools is more marked than on other services.” Peggy Farrington, headteach-
er at Hanham High School near Bristol, was missing seven out of 70 teachers. She told us: “One of the big-
gest concerns is a group of 17 6th-formers who are out in New
York, all with exams coming up, of course. They were due back last Thursday, and although there is a geography teacher out there, they can’t be expected to teach everything.” Mr Griffiths added: “There is
the looming problem of students being unable to prepare properly for external exams. The language orals this week can be rescheduled, but what if a student does not get back for two or three weeks? Will they be able to claim special consideration from exam boards?” A statement from the Joint
Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the seven largest exam boards, said it was sympa- thetic to teachers and students who were unable to return to the UK. It also confirmed that some
examinations, including language orals and other practical tests sched- uled to take place over the next
few weeks, would be subject to re-arrangement. A statement said: “Where such
assessments are unable to take place due to teaching personnel, exam officers or candidates being strand- ed abroad, the assessment may be rescheduled within the available window. The candidate may apply for ‘special consideration’ if they are stranded abroad.” However, the JCQ insisted that
no written A level or GCSE exams would be rescheduled, and said that schools should stick to their original timetables “wherever possible”. A spokesman for the Department
for Children, Schools and Families said: “We are monitoring the situ- ation closely. Schools have contin- gency plans in place and headteach- ers are best placed to decide how to cover for absent staff effectively and support pupils forced to miss classes to catch-up quickly.”
Melvyn Roffe, Principal, Wymondham College, Norfolk
“One of my vice principals is visiting our link school in Argentina at the end of a family holiday. He is being looked after by them – provided with accommodation – and he is delivering CPD for the staff there. His children are attending lessons and his wife is acting as a teaching assistant. I’m not sure he’s going to want to come back! One of our year 13 students is stranded in the same hotel as her maths teacher in Turkey so one-to-one tuition is being arranged.”
Simon Uttley, Head, St Paul’s Catholic College, Surrey
“We have seven teachers out and a similar number of support staff. We are open, but a number of students are also stranded. Cover supervisors and staff are all pulling together. We are only 10 minutes from Heathrow and all is quiet!”
Simon Viccars, Head, Leon School, Milton Keynes
“We have 13 staff out of school stranded; four support and nine teaching staff, plus several lucky escapes – they arrived back in England on the Wednesday before the ban on ‘Ash Thursday!’ Struggling on in emergency cover situation.”
Issue 246 • April 22 2010 Price £1.00
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UK news n SecEd: On your side n Independent thinking n Moral support n Lighting fires n Union address n At the chalkface
JOBS INSIDE
Photo: REUTERS/Ho New
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