Coronavirus: Fears for vulnerable children as thousands miss first day of new school term

Thousands of vulnerable children who should be returning to school have not turned up for the first day of summer term.

Under government coronavirus guidelines, children with complex needs should continue attending school, but head teachers have told Sky News that only a fraction came in.

While many are being kept at home by parents concerned about the risk of COVID-19, teachers are concerned that children with special needs, or those living in neglectful environments are at greater risk of other problems if they stay at home.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders told Sky News: “I think if you average it out across the UK we’re seeing very, very small numbers [going to school].

“It’ll vary from area to area but overall I think we would be concerned that the number of vulnerable children in particular are very low.

“They will be at a huge disadvantage socially, educationally but may be at risk as well and that’s why no one is turning a blind eye to it.”

New Rush Hall in east London is a school for children with social, emotional or mental health difficulties and all the children enrolled are categorised as vulnerable, but out of 64 children only three turned up today.

Executive headteacher Sam Walters said. “My concerns are that when you have social care issues with families it’s important to have that regular contact – and not just a phone conversation.

“Sometimes you need to see the pupil in person to know whether they are physically or mentally well.

“I think across the country at the moment you have turmoil in families because people are forced to be in the same house for a long amount of time, so for children with social care issues it’s a particularly difficult time.”

Mr Walters also oversees two pupil referral units (PRUs) in Redbridge in East London. Of nearly 200 children enrolled, all of them are vulnerable and very few arrived at school this morning.

Mr Walters said: “Many children who go to our PRUs are engaged in criminal activity, and in these times, children who are categorised as vulnerable should be at school, but they are the type of children who will take this opportunity not to go to school.

“Across the area that we work in, since the lockdown we’ve had kids arrested for robbery, burglary, county lines and in one case attempted murder.

“Some high-end things that I’m not saying we could’ve prevented if we were at school, but we would’ve been more in the know, more in the loop and more able to work with those young people in a positive way.”

This weekend the government released guidance advising local authorities to conduct risk assessments on whether vulnerable children would be safe in school or at home, including “the potential health risks to the individual from coronavirus (COVID-19), bearing in mind any underlying health conditions”.

Set against this are a number of factors such as the ability of the child’s parents or carers to ensure their health and care needs can be met and any out-of-school or college risk or vulnerability.

For example, a child “becoming involved in dangerous behaviour or situations or requiring support from a social worker”/

Educators say the problem is that even if they identify the most at risk children – they have no way of making sure they come into school.

A Department for Education spokesperson responded by saying: “Being in school can keep vulnerable children and young people safe and ease pressure on families, which is why we have enabled these children to continue attending despite schools being closed for other pupils.

“We thank schools and social workers for the work they are doing to keep vulnerable children safe and in school at this challenging time and we are supporting them to do this.”

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Fears for vulnerable children as thousands miss first day of new school term