Pupils missed up to eight weeks of class as region’s schools ‘disproportionately’ hit by Covid-19

Schools in the North East have been “disproportionately” affected by Covid-19, with some students missing as much as eight weeks of lessons, a regional education body claims.

Schools North East has said government tweaks to the exam system don’t go far enough to help teenagers in the region who’ve been forced to self-isolate for weeks at a time, as high rates of coronavirus force teachers to send their pupils home.

On Thursday, the government unveiled changes to the country’s exam system, designed to take into account the impact of lockdown on education, and avoid this summer’s fury against a controversial grading system which saw some marks drop dramatically.

Pupils in England will be given advance notice of some topics ahead of their tests and they will be allowed to take in exam aids, like formula sheets, to ensure this cohort of students is not disadvantaged.

Students will also be awarded more generous grades – in line with 2020 results where pupils received a larger proportion of higher grades than previous years after exams were cancelled amid the pandemic.

The majority of GCSE and A-level exams will be delayed by three weeks to give pupils more time to catch up on learning, while there will be contingency measures for those who miss exams due to sickness or self-isolation.

But, while welcoming the adjustments, Schools North East said the proposals failed to “fully take into account the differing levels of absences across the country.”

Responding to the announcement, a spokesperson claimed: “The North East appears to be disproportionately affected with schools in our network reporting that some North East students have lost a third of class time this term due to bubbles collapsing. This situation is likely to continue into the Spring term as households mix over Christmas.”

Chris Zarraga, director of Schools North East, added: “The proposed ‘solution’, particularly at secondary, fits a problem that doesn’t exist anymore in many parts of the country.

“It would be ideal for those children who returned in September and have not had to isolate/ bubbles collapsed/ zero disruption etc.

“However, some children in the North East have had eight weeks out of school this term, four weeks is not uncommon.

“This solution doesn’t take into account that their lockdown has lasted far longer than many others; this will likely be exacerbated after the Christmas break and the mixing of families that will entail.

“It also doesn’t take into account the effect on the most disadvantaged who don’t have IT/ broadband/ data etc to properly access online learning.”

He celebrated the news that Key Stage 1 SATs, which test children aged just seven, had been called off, and that testing data would not be used in league tables.

A Schools North East spokesperson added: “Ensuring fairness in exams this year was always going to be difficult, and while the announcements today do recognise the enormous challenges both school staff and students face, there are still questions to be answered.”

Making a statement in the Commons, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson insisted the changes were enough to make the system fair.

He said: “We’re not going to let Covid damage the life chances of an entire year of students by cancelling next year’s exams.

“Exams are the best form of assessment we have and we are therefore taking steps to make sure that any student preparing to sit them in 2021 has every chance possible to do their very, very best.”

The Department for Education has insisted that most schools remaining open and responding well to the pandemic.

Responding to North East teacher concerns about safety last month, a spokesperson said: “Over 99% of schools have been open every week since term began and with attendance remaining high and stable, millions of pupils are continuing to benefit from being in school, both in terms of their education and their wellbeing.

“We recognise this is a challenging time and are hugely grateful to the school leaders, teachers and staff for ongoing extraordinary work to ensure children continue to receive the education and support they deserve.”