Following the two-week break for the Easter holiday, Warwickshire County Council is pleased to report a record number of pupils returning to an education setting for the summer term.
The recently collated figures provided to Warwickshire County Council, as Education Authority, by schools showed that:
- All of Warwickshire’s Primary and Secondary Schools and Colleges opened as planned on Monday 19 April 2021 following the Easter Holiday;
- Daily pupil attendance rates at both Primary and Secondary Schools have held consistently at no less than 94% with Primary schools over the last week (w/c 26/04/2021) recording a 98% attendance rate. These attendance rates are not only high during the pandemic, they are high when compared to pre-COVID periods. *
- The data does show that there are pupils / teachers / and non-teaching staff absent due to confirmed or suspected COVID, but these are a lot lower than prior to the Easter holidays.
Parents can continue to be reassured that the safety of every one of Warwickshire’s learners’ is paramount to Warwickshire County Council and all its education settings and all staff in schools will, themselves, continue to be tested regularly for COVID-19.
From parents, WCC is asking that they continue to play their part and do the right thing for Warwickshire by wearing face-coverings at the school gates and when entering education settings and by social distancing, wherever it is possible to do so.
If pupils have had to miss school during assessment periods, schools will be following national guidance and using evidence from across the duration of pupils’ courses to determine grades rather than rely on a single assessment.
Mark Ryder, Warwickshire County Council’s Strategic Director for Communities, said: “One of the big challenges of the pandemic is that it has deprived so many children of their opportunity to attend school for their education for prolonged periods of time. The benefits, not just in terms of learning, but also the continued social development of our children and young people, is hard to quantify".
“The fact that all Warwickshire Schools were able to open and open safely and that Warwickshire’s daily attendance figures are so high is a great cause for celebration all round".
“To our learners, parents, carers and educators across Warwickshire, I would like to say thank you for playing your part and ensuring schools can remain open by getting regular tests, by wearing face-coverings, by maintaining social distancing and for your continued trust in our schools and this education authority to provide safe and COVID-Secure learning environments for all our children and young people. To all our teachers and school support staff, special thanks for putting in the extra hours to ensure that time and learning lost to the pandemic is made up as best it can be.”
For more information about education and learning in Warwickshire, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/schools