WELL, the next meeting of Colchester headteachers promises to be interesting following the comments by Simon Billings (Gazette, February 10, “‘Schools have dropped the ball over closures’”).
I am pleased that Mr Billings was able to keep his school open for the children of key workers and vulnerable children.
However, he has no right to criticise other school leaders who decided to close their schools.
None of those heads will have taken that decision lightly.
They will have carried out a thorough risk assessment, consulted with staff, governors and, in many cases, parents, before reluctantly deciding to close. The circumstances for each school are likely to have been very different and are complicated by the need to maintain class bubbles under the current Covid restrictions.
It is not for Mr Billings to question those headteachers’ risk assessments. Neither is it fair for him to question individuals’ decisions whether they can travel safely to school.
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When Essex Police is advising drivers to travel only if absolutely necessary, it is not surprising that some school staff, who may not be as confident driving in snow and ice as Mr Billings, should err on the side of caution.
This is especially true for those living or working in rural areas whose journeys may not be on the well gritted main roads Mr Billings was able to use.
I must take issue with his suggestion that staff may have used their “snow day” to go shopping.
As Mr Billings will know very well, throughout this lockdown teachers and support staff have been providing remote learning for those students who are unable to attend school. That work will have continued during the snow closures for all the pupils.
Teachers and school leaders have become used to sniping and insults from commentators outside the profession, but to read comments like these from a local headteacher was extremely disappointing and grossly unfair.
I am sure Mr Billings will have some explaining to do when he next meets his headteacher colleagues and he may wish to consider apologising to the hard-working school staff who have continued to do what they do best, educating, supporting and nurturing their pupils, whether it be in the classroom or from home.
David Evans
District Secretary, North East Essex NEU
Lilian Impey Drive, Colchester
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