Greg Smith MP quizzed the Education Secretary in the House of Commons earlier (30th June 2021) calling for action to ensure new primary school starters this September are able to attend settling in sessions ahead of the new term.
Commenting, Greg said: "I have heard from a number of concerned parents of children due to start primary school this year, who are concerned that their children are not being offered the usual "settling in" sessions ahead of the new term to familiarise themselves with their new day-to-day environment. This is a point I personally understand very well, as my eldest son is due to start primary school too this year.
"Starting school is an exciting, but anxious time for children - especially coming off the back of 18 months of such heavy disruption from the various Covid lockdowns and restrictions. So I asked the Education Secretary to take action to ensure these important settling in sessions could go ahead, so that children can have the best possible start to their school lives. I was reassured that he said there was flexibility and I look forward to working with him, our Council and local schools to ensure settling in sessions can be offered."
Greg is also lobbying schools Ministers to end the schools 'bubble' system as soon as possible, so that children already at school are no longer sent home because of a single or small number of positive lateral flow tests in a bubble. Our vaccines are working, meaning hospitalisations and deaths from Covid are very very low. We cannot continue disrupting children's education in this way.
On a smaller - but for many important point - Greg is also making the case for parents to be able to attend schools sports days to see their children compete. In an outdoor setting, where social distancing can easily be achieved, there is no reason for parents to be banned from such important events in their children's lives.
