SOME Bradford Primary schools will not open as planned today. 

At least three schools in the district have confirmed they will remain closed.

It comes amid calls from teaching unions for all schools to remain closed for two weeks following the Christmas break.

Bradford Council has said it is following Government guidelines, with primary schools reopening today; pupils in Year 11 and Year 13 returning on January 11 and other year groups on January 18.

A message was sent to staff at Chellow Heights Primary School last night informing them the school was closed to pupils but open to staff, to discuss the best and safest way to move forward this term, which could include class sizes being reduced.

Nigel Cooper, headteacher at Wibsey Primary School, said the school will be closed to all pupils today (Jan 4).

He said: "I have been informed that around half the teaching staff will not teach full classes, having been advised by their union (NEU) not to attend school if they are expected to. This will not be the same for all schools, so some will be able to open and some will not."

The National Education Union (NEU) called for all schools to remain closed for two weeks following the Christmas break to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

The union, which represents the majority of teachers, has advised its members it is not safe to return to classrooms on Monday.

Mr Cooper added: "I have been working with the Senior Leadership Team today, and will continue to do so tomorrow to make arrangements for Tuesday onwards. Clearly this news has come at the end of a holiday and over a weekend, making it impossible to plan. I will send further information once I have consulted with the Local Authority as to how they are addressing this with the unions.

"I am determined we shall have a plan with you by the end of the day tomorrow for Tuesday - but if staff follow union advice it may be a different offer to normal, or to that which you and I would want.

"I will be asking all staff to provide online learning for tomorrow and to have this ready for you for 9.00am. Staff are still expected to offer remote and key worker/vulnerable cover - so again I will clarify this with you tomorrow for Tuesday onwards. The key message though is that we will be closed to all tomorrow."

The letter added: "This isn’t how I expected to be starting the New Year but I accept that things have moved quickly and that many of our community have concerns about the new variant of Covid. I will have everyone working tomorrow on the best plan we can."

In a similar letter, John Cooper, headteacher at Steeton Primary School, said: "I am writing following the latest NEU advice to all teaching and teaching support members.

"We have had a written communication on the grounds of Health & Safety from ten members of the teaching staff across school who are members of the NEU.

"They have followed their union’s advice that under the present climate of increased transition and infection rates, it is unsafe for them to attend work at the present time.

"As such, it is no longer viable for school leaders to open school safely for children tomorrow, Monday 4th January 2021. Therefore school will be closed for all children on Monday 4th January. We will start online lessons for all children on Tuesday 5th January.

"We understand that this is very short notice, but the union advice to members was issued on Saturday following the closure of further primary schools across the south of England. We apologise sincerely for any inconvenience caused."

Newby Primary School, West Bowling, will also be closed:

A statement on Bowling Park Primary School's website says: "As a result of action taken by education unions, prompted by safety concerns around the re-opening of primary schools, I regret to inform you that Bowling Park primary will be closed to all pupils on Monday the 4th of January.

"We will re-open to vulnerable and key worker children ONLY from Tuesday. Remote/home learning will start from 9 o’clock for all pupils from Tuesday the 5th. We will contact all children and families tomorrow.

"I know that this is difficult news and I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this will cause you."

Councillor Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, which represents councils across England, said in a statement this evening: "Keeping schools and early years settings open for the wellbeing and education of children and young people is hugely important, for those children’s life chances and for working parents.

“However, councils know many parents and teachers across the country are anxious about schools and early years settings opening next week amid rising infections rates.

“The safety of staff, parents and families has always been absolutely paramount and councils have been working hard with schools throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure they can remain open as safely as possible.

“It is important that schools have the local flexibility to take decisions about reopening - in consultation with their councils - based on the latest public health advice and data. This is vital to reassure parents and carers that it is safe for their schools to reopen.”

Bradford Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Education, Cllr Imran Khan, said today: “The district’s schools have been fantastic throughout the pandemic. They have worked with the Council, followed public health advice, put risk assessments and testing in place, and worked to prioritise teaching our young people, whilst also keeping them safe, including during times when the infection rate in the district was three times what it is now.

“As we have for the last 10 months we will continue to support headteachers and schools in any way we can and will support their decisions this week about whether they are able to make safe and appropriate arrangements to open for staff and children. 

“We recognise the concerns of some school staff and some families about the new variant of COVID-19 and whether it is safe for our district's schools to re-open this week. On Sunday, (January 3) Bradford Council and the Director of Public Health had a meeting with 180 headteachers from across the district. The Public Health advice is that all schools need not close at this time.  

"It is ultimately the decision of schools to do a proper health and safety assessment of their premises and for Government to decide on schools opening and closing nationally.  Some schools have decided to close  due to staff shortages. We have assured them they have our full support for their decision. 

“We will continue to keep the situation and infection rates in the district under review, working closely with the Director of Public Health and schools, to ensure that the safety of everyone in the district remains our primary concern, as it has been throughout this pandemic.”

Meanwhile, The Yorkshire Party has claimed schoolchildren, teachers and parents are suffering uncertainty, health risks and loss of education because the Government failed to act in September.

Yorkshire Party leader, Bob Buxton, said: “SAGE told the Prime Minister we needed an immediate circuit-breaker lockdown on September 21. Two weeks of lockdown then would have saved tens of thousands of lives and limited economic damage and loss of education.”

Dr Buxton, who teaches engineering apprentices in Bradford, added: “Instead of timely action, we have chaos – last minute decisions on when and how schools reopen and even calls for exams to be cancelled. I personally hope exams will be put back a few weeks and, maybe, adapted instead.

"A system relying on teachers’ predictions puts them under tremendous pressure. It may have been difficult to avoid last year but not this year.”

The Yorkshire Party is also calling for teachers, support staff and pupils in especially high risk groups to be shielded.

Dr Buxton added: “With the higher transmissibility of the new strain, the most vulnerable should not be in a classroom with 30 other people.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said parents should send primary-age children back to schools which remain open this week,  despite growing calls from unions to close them.

He said he understood concerns about children returning for the new term, but said he has “no doubt” that schools are safe and that education was a “priority”.

Despite the reassurances, Mr Johnson did not rule out further school closures in England, warning that a range of tougher coronavirus measures may be needed to curb the spread of the virus.

Is your child's school closed tomorrow? Let us know by emailing newsdesk@telegraphandargus.co.uk