HEADTEACHERS across the borough are standing with the council in defiance of the government’s guidance to partially reopen primary schools next week.

Bury Association of Primary Headteachers (BAPH), which represents local authority, faith and academy schools in the borough, has said reopening for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on June 1 would be “nothing short of reckless”.

Kath Perry, chair of the association, has written to Bury’s two MPs claiming their letter to headteachers on May 19 left many feeling their “professionalism had been questioned”.

The headteacher at St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School in Prestwich stressed schools must meet the five conditions set out by the government’s chief scientific advisor before more pupils return to school.

She said: “When our Prime Minister briefed the country on schools reopening for Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children I contacted all my colleagues to gauge their opinion.

“Within 24 hours I had received a response from 40 of my colleagues. This level of response is unprecedented in the history of our association, showing the level of concern headteachers felt.

“It clearly illustrates the worried concern which headteachers and schools have to cope with at the moment.

“There is a huge level of responsibility which is being thrust onto headteachers in this current crisis and that we are expected by the public to get it right.”

Bury Council said last week that schools should not partially reopen on June 1.

It is ultimately up to each governing body or academy trust to decide whether it agrees with the council’s position or if it will reopen regardless.

Mrs Perry said schools are planning for reopening, but not necessarily on June 1.

She added: “In our Greater Manchester region, we still have worryingly high level of infection and we still have areas in Bury with significant levels of infection. The rate of infection is not falling as quickly as other areas of the country.

“Within Bury, there needs to be confidence that the numbers of cases of Covid-19 is sufficiently low and that there is a sustained downward trend. This is not the case at the moment.

“There are no arrangements at this time, for testing and contact tracing. Comprehensive access to testing for children and staff must be in place to ensure that schools do not become hot spots for COVID-19. There is also the worrying prediction of a second phase of COVID-19 to consider.

“Social distancing and social mixing in schools is very difficult to maintain and in the case of the youngest children impossible. Therefore, any return needs robust risk assessments to be in place and these need time to be implemented.”

Bury Council has issued risk assessment guidance that is intended to be a manual of best practice for schools to use, according to Mrs Perry.

Schools will be using this guidance alongside their own risk assessments.

Cllr Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for children, young people and skills, said schools should only reopen when they determine that it is safe to do so.

He said: “I want to thank the Bury Association of Primary Headteachers for their unstinting leadership to school communities since the COVID-19 crisis began.

“I wholeheartedly welcome their support for the council’s statement earlier this week, and share the concerns and issues they have raised around not being able to open their schools safely on June 1. We will continue to work them now, to develop a way forward.

“We want schools in the borough opened safely and as soon as possible, recognising not only the importance of education, but the vital social and emotional support schools provide, especially for our most vulnerable children.

“I would also like to highlight that 73 of our borough’s schools are already open for 714 vulnerable children and children of key workers, and would like to pay tribute to all teaching and support staff who, over the past few weeks, have kept them running. Plus the many others continuing to provide education and support to school communities outside of physical buildings.”

On Sunday, the Prime Minister confirmed that schools, colleges and nurseries across England are “on track” to reopen to more children from June 1.

Boris Johnson acknowledged that some schools may not be able to reopen immediately and said the government will work with the education sector to ensure schools experiencing difficulties are able to open as soon as possible.

But Cllr Tariq said the Prime Minster’s statement does not change anything for Bury.

He said: “We will continue to work with our schools on their risk assessments and their individual plans. I’m disappointed that the government has not acknowledged the problem with asking Early Years Foundation Stage to be amongst the first to return.”