Coronavirus: Eastbourne head teacher lets parents keep children at home

An Eastbourne head teacher is allowing parents to keep their children at home during the coronavirus outbreak.

Mike Fairclough, who runs West Rise School in Langney, says he hasn’t been given permission to do so, but feels it’s the morally right thing to do.

Writing for Tes, the education publication, he said he would authorise absences to keep pupils and staff safe – even if they aren’t experiencing any coronavirus symptoms.

Mr Fairclough said, “I feel like this is my moral duty. We’ve been told categorically that social distancing is essential.

“Schools are basically just mass gatherings, aren’t they? It doesn’t make sense to have lots of children in school together, touching each other all the time.”

“It feels like a lot of the measures that have been suggested in the guidance around social distancing apply to absolutely everyone...but not to schools and not to teaching professionals. So that’s why I’ve done what I’ve done.”

He told Tes that 110 of the school’s 354 pupils were off on the second day of the new policy.

Some of these children were off due to symptoms, but others because the school said they could be.

Mr Fairclough said, “This is what we all have to do. It’s the only way we can keep frontline workers in hospitals, and allow people who can’t afford to take time off work to pay their bills.”

Class numbers are down from 30 to 20, which means the school is able to safely reduce staff members who have compromised immune systems or need to self-isolate. Staff who have had to take time off are on full pay, according to Mr Fairclough.

The government has currently not taken the decision to close schools.