Cheshire East Council right to show caution on advice to schools on re-opening

After consulting widely with teaching staff, school heads and the Cheshire East parent carer forum, Cheshire East Council decided to issue guidance that schools in our area should not start to re-open until Monday 15th June.

The Government recently issued guidance urging schools to start re-opening from Monday 1^st June 2020.

However, after consulting widely with teaching staff, school heads and the Cheshire East parent carer forum, Cheshire East Council decided to issue guidance that schools in our area should not start to re-open until Monday 15^th June. Detailed guidance was issued on 20 May, giving time for staff to prepare risk assessments, test new ways of working and to assess the changing situation regarding COVID-19 infection rates locally.

The rise in the COVID-19 reproduction ‘R’ rate to 1.01 in the North West, illustrates the wisdom in this cautious approach.

Ashley Farrall, Labour Councillor for Macclesfield Central said “Our precautionary approach of re-opening schools two weeks after the Government's recommendation and with a phased re-opening means that we are in a good position to assess the threat now faced by the rising R number.’’

James Barber, Labour Councillor for Broken Cross & Upton, said “Cheshire East took the correct decision in issuing guidance to keep our schools closed when the government was encouraging them to open. Our decision has been justified by the reported subsequent rise in R rate in the North West.”

Sam Corcoran, Labour Leader of Cheshire East Council, said “Most schools in Cheshire East have remained open throughout this crisis for children of key workers and vulnerable children. I thank all the staff who have made this possible.”