Giving parents a voice in the debate
CALLING FOR A CLEAR
FUNDED PLAN TO GET ALL CHILDREN SAFELY BACK TO SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER
Why? To help teachers to prepare for a new season of learning, parents to plan their work and childcare, and our children to know that they will be back learning safely with their friends.
Show your support
The government has promised that all of England’s schools will be reopening in September, and details of how this will be achieved in practice are still being worked out. We are continuing to call on government to put children and education at the heart of their strategy, to ensure that all children are safely back at school in September, and to ensure that contingency planning in the event of local lockdowns or a second wave takes account of parents’ homeschooling experiences so far.
Please join your voice to ours in one of the following ways
Supporting our online poll
This week, the government’s scientific advisors have said that opening schools is a priority for the health and wellbeing of children, but that we are at the limit of what can safely be reopened during the pandemic.
In September, the reopening of schools may require a trade-off, closing some of the other activities that are currently open, to ensure that households can be safely reconnected through the school environment.
Please note only one vote per IP will be counted.
TAKE OUR POLL
Follow & share on social
Follow us on social and share your support for this campaign with your network.
@septforschools #septforschools
If you would like to contact us directly please use info@septforschools.org
Write a letter to your MP
The voice of parents has been conspicuously absent so far in the debate on reopening schools in England. A great way to make your voice heard is to write to your MP. The more of us who do write, the more likely children's needs will be priotritised as lockdown eases.
Please use our template letter and MP finder to send your letter — and please do spread the word.
Sharing your experiences
Thank you to everyone who fed back on their lockdown home schooling experiences in our July campaign.
We collected 1700+ stories from parents and guardians which we shared with the Education Select Committee and more widely.
Read the BBC News Article here based on some of the initial feedback.
Link to the first Education Select Committee Report (CIE0303)
Link to the second Education Select Committee Report (CIE0329)
If you haven’t already done so, please share your lockdown homeschooling experience with us
Our campaign objective
WHAT?
The government announcement, on Friday 19th June, that provision will be made for all children, in all year groups to be back to school in September is very welcome news.
Our campaign focus is on ensuring there is a clear, funded and practical plan in place to deliver on this commitment.
WHY?
Teachers need to prepare for a new season of learning, parents need to plan their work and childcare, and our children need to know that they will be back learning safely with their friends.
HOW?
With the right people around the table (including head teachers, unions, parent bodies, local authorities and the DfE), and with a solutions-focused mindset, it will be possible to find a safe and practical way forward.
What was Parliamentary motion 621?
Supporting our campaign the MP for Twickenham, Munira Wilson, has tabled a Parliamentary motion that presses the Government to urgently devise a plan to enable children to safely return to school in September.
The Early Day Motion was presented to the House on the 24th June and has been signed up by 10 MPs from the Lib Dems, Conservative, Labour and Green Party proving this is a genuine cross party concern.
Read the campaign details and the detailed objective set out in the motion on Munira Wilson's website by clicking below.
"It's great that the Government has backed the tutoring idea, and that will help hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged pupils.
But we need urgent clarity on the next school year. We need to make sure schools reopen in September. This is the much bigger challenge, and will make the biggest difference of all."
Prof Lee Eliot Major
Latest News
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About Us
The September for Schools campaign was set up in June 2020.
It is run and personally funded by the September for Schools Working Group of four parents.
Fiona Forbes
Anne Messer
Katie Quinton
katie@septforschools.org
Katya Speciale katya@septforschools.org