This Council believes:

The impact of COVID 19 on the lives of all Trafford residents has been severe. Children’s education has been particularly affected with schools locked down for two significant periods over the last 12 months. Increasing unemployment and levels of poverty as a result of the pandemic have also provided a stark reminder of the reality of child hunger in the UK and the importance the provision of Free School Meals plays in combating this injustice. These damaging childhood experiences have been made worse by a series of incompetent decisions made by the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williams MP. These mistakes rank among the worst the government has made during the pandemic because of their impact, as well as being avoidable if the Secretary of State had demonstrated trust in teachers and their democratically elected representatives in Parliament and the unions. These serious mistakes include:

·          In March 2020 the government ordered schools to close with no clear direction or guidance on how they should conduct learning at a distance, either in what the online lessons should be or how pupils without technology could get access. The Secretary of State failed to deliver the number of laptops promised for disadvantaged students in the first lockdown. Now, by the Education Secretary’s own estimate, the roll out of one million devices will not be reached until the end of January – two thirds of the way through the current lockdown. With last summer squandered by the Department for Education (DfE), it is galling that this remains an issue. The result has been that the gap between pupils in high and low achieving schools has widened and continues to do so.

·          The catastrophe of the 2020 GCSE and A-level results stemmed from a decision that grade inflation should be avoided and a lack of regard for the injustices that Ofqual’s algorithm would produce, for individuals and social groups, as well as a failure to set up an extensive appeals process.

·          The U-turn on 2020 exam results after five days meant that universities had already filled up many places. That led to a scramble in which some would take more pupils (requiring more funding), some would force pupils to defer their places with a knock-on effect on 2021, and some would be left underfunded, without enough pupils to fill their places.

·          Experienced teachers, headteachers, unions and parents identified in July 2020 that GCSE and A-Levels in 2021 could not possibly take place fairly due to the wide ranging amounts of time Year 10 and 12 students had lost from the classroom and they called for internal assessments with external moderation. It took until early January 2021 for the Secretary of State to announce to Parliament that internal assessments would replace externally assessed exams but still without any details allowing teachers, students and parents to effectively plan for them.

This Council calls for:

·          Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Education to resign or for the Prime Minister to replace him immediately.

·          The Secretary of State for Education to commit to and carry out the following, in consultation with Parliament, and education workers’ unions:

·          Schools and Further Education Colleges be provided with the parameters applicable to the internal GCSE and A-Level assessments students will sit in summer 2021 and ensure they will be subject to external moderation. These requirements should not require increased workload levels for education workers beyond marking, grading and the submission of papers.

·          Share all the information the DfE has from Public Health England and/or SAGE or the Children’s Task and Finish Group, about their estimates of the effects of its new criteria for school attendance on the R rate and infections in school.

·          The temporary extension of Free School Meals (FSM) to No Recourse to Public Funds residents and low-income migrants during the pandemic should be made permanent.

·          To ensure that Government guidance on FSM packed lunches requires providers to ensure they include enough good quality nutritious food that meets the daily calorific requirements for a growing child of the relevant age group.

·          Eradicate holiday hunger by permanently committing to FSM provision of at least £15 per child per week to ensure nutritional standards during all school holidays.

·          Provide free household internet access for children and young people in households on Universal Credit.

·          Establish a new, dedicated technology budget for all schools to combat the digital divide.

This Council calls on:

The Leader of Trafford Council to:

·          Write to the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister asking him to respond as a matter of urgency to all of the above points.

It was moved and seconded that:

“This Council believes:

The impact of COVID 19 on the lives of all Trafford residents has been severe. Children’s education has been particularly affected with schools locked down for two significant periods over the last 12 months. Increasing unemployment and levels of poverty as a result of the pandemic have also provided a stark reminder of the reality of child hunger in the UK and the importance the provision of Free School Meals plays in combating this injustice. These damaging childhood experiences have been made worse by a series of incompetent decisions made by the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williams MP. These mistakes rank among the worst the government has made during the pandemic because of their impact, as well as being avoidable if the Secretary of State had demonstrated trust in teachers and their democratically elected representatives in Parliament and the unions. These serious mistakes include:

·           In March 2020 the government ordered schools to close with no clear direction or guidance on how they should conduct learning at a distance, either in what the online lessons should be or how pupils without technology could get access. The Secretary of State failed to deliver the number of laptops promised for disadvantaged students in the first lockdown. Now, by the Education Secretary’s own estimate, the roll out of one million devices will not be reached until the end of January – two thirds of the way through the current lockdown. With last summer squandered by the Department for Education (DfE), it is galling that this remains an issue. The result has been that the gap between pupils in high and low achieving schools has widened and continues to do so.

·           The catastrophe of the 2020 GCSE and A-level results stemmed from a decision that grade inflation should be avoided and a lack of regard for the injustices that Ofqual’s algorithm would produce, for individuals and social groups, as well as a failure to set up an extensive appeals process.

·           The U-turn on 2020 exam results after five days meant that universities had already filled up many places. That led to a scramble in which some would take more pupils (requiring more funding), some would force pupils to defer their places with a knock-on effect on 2021, and some would be left underfunded, without enough pupils to fill their places.

·           Experienced teachers, headteachers, unions and parents identified in July 2020 that GCSE and A-Levels in 2021 could not possibly take place fairly due to the wide ranging amounts of time Year 10 and 12 students had lost from the classroom and they called for internal assessments with external moderation. It took until early January 2021 for the Secretary of State to announce to Parliament that internal assessments would replace externally assessed exams but still without any details allowing teachers, students and parents to effectively plan for them.

This Council calls for:

·           Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Education to resign or for the Prime Minister to replace him immediately.

·           The Secretary of State for Education to commit to and carry out the following, in consultation with Parliament, and education workers’ unions:

·           Schools and Further Education Colleges be provided with the parameters applicable to the internal GCSE and A-Level assessments students will sit in summer 2021 and ensure they will be subject to external moderation. These requirements should not require increased workload levels for education workers beyond marking, grading and the submission of papers.

·           Share all the information the DfE has from Public Health England and/or SAGE or the Children’s Task and Finish Group, about their estimates of the effects of its new criteria for school attendance on the R rate and infections in school.

·           The temporary extension of Free School Meals (FSM) to No Recourse to Public Funds residents and low-income migrants during the pandemic should be made permanent.

·           To ensure that Government guidance on FSM packed lunches requires providers to ensure they include enough good quality nutritious food that meets the daily calorific requirements for a growing child of the relevant age group.

·           Eradicate holiday hunger by permanently committing to FSM provision of at least £15 per child per week to ensure nutritional standards during all school holidays.

·           Provide free household internet access for children and young people in households on Universal Credit.

·           Establish a new, dedicated technology budget for all schools to combat the digital divide.

This Council calls on:

The Leader of Trafford Council to:

·           Write to the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister asking him to respond as a matter of urgency to all of the above points.”

Following a debate on the matter, the Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED: That this Council believes:

The impact of COVID 19 on the lives of all Trafford residents has been severe. Children’s education has been particularly affected with schools locked down for two significant periods over the last 12 months. Increasing unemployment and levels of poverty as a result of the pandemic have also provided a stark reminder of the reality of child hunger in the UK and the importance the provision of Free School Meals plays in combating this injustice. These damaging childhood experiences have been made worse by a series of incompetent decisions made by the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williams MP. These mistakes rank among the worst the government has made during the pandemic because of their impact, as well as being avoidable if the Secretary of State had demonstrated trust in teachers and their democratically elected representatives in Parliament and the unions. These serious mistakes include:

·           In March 2020 the government ordered schools to close with no clear direction or guidance on how they should conduct learning at a distance, either in what the online lessons should be or how pupils without technology could get access. The Secretary of State failed to deliver the number of laptops promised for disadvantaged students in the first lockdown. Now, by the Education Secretary’s own estimate, the roll out of one million devices will not be reached until the end of January – two thirds of the way through the current lockdown. With last summer squandered by the Department for Education (DfE), it is galling that this remains an issue. The result has been that the gap between pupils in high and low achieving schools has widened and continues to do so.

·           The catastrophe of the 2020 GCSE and A-level results stemmed from a decision that grade inflation should be avoided and a lack of regard for the injustices that Ofqual’s algorithm would produce, for individuals and social groups, as well as a failure to set up an extensive appeals process.

·           The U-turn on 2020 exam results after five days meant that universities had already filled up many places. That led to a scramble in which some would take more pupils (requiring more funding), some would force pupils to defer their places with a knock-on effect on 2021, and some would be left underfunded, without enough pupils to fill their places.

·           Experienced teachers, headteachers, unions and parents identified in July 2020 that GCSE and A-Levels in 2021 could not possibly take place fairly due to the wide ranging amounts of time Year 10 and 12 students had lost from the classroom and they called for internal assessments with external moderation. It took until early January 2021 for the Secretary of State to announce to Parliament that internal assessments would replace externally assessed exams but still without any details allowing teachers, students and parents to effectively plan for them.

This Council calls for:

·           Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Education to resign or for the Prime Minister to replace him immediately.

·           The Secretary of State for Education to commit to and carry out the following, in consultation with Parliament, and education workers’ unions:

·           Schools and Further Education Colleges be provided with the parameters applicable to the internal GCSE and A-Level assessments students will sit in summer 2021 and ensure they will be subject to external moderation. These requirements should not require increased workload levels for education workers beyond marking, grading and the submission of papers.

·           Share all the information the DfE has from Public Health England and/or SAGE or the Children’s Task and Finish Group, about their estimates of the effects of its new criteria for school attendance on the R rate and infections in school.

·           The temporary extension of Free School Meals (FSM) to No Recourse to Public Funds residents and low-income migrants during the pandemic should be made permanent.

·           To ensure that Government guidance on FSM packed lunches requires providers to ensure they include enough good quality nutritious food that meets the daily calorific requirements for a growing child of the relevant age group.

·           Eradicate holiday hunger by permanently committing to FSM provision of at least £15 per child per week to ensure nutritional standards during all school holidays.

·           Provide free household internet access for children and young people in households on Universal Credit.

·           Establish a new, dedicated technology budget for all schools to combat the digital divide.

This Council calls on:

The Leader of Trafford Council to:

·           Write to the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister asking him to respond as a matter of urgency to all of the above points.