Please use letter if you need to inform your school leader that you think it unsafe to be working in school.

Download the letter by clicking here

And let us know you have signed by filling in this form.

Dear ***********

re:  Health and Safety

I am writing, on behalf of the signatories to this letter, to inform you that, in order for members of your staff to protect themselves and/or other persons from danger, those named below will not be attending [name of school/college] to work there at present. They will continue to be available to work from home.

Since the Government announced its decision to extend the opening of schools, the impact on the health and safety of pupils, staff and the community has been widely discussed. The mere fact of an increase in the number of pupils and staff attending school poses an increased risk.

The National Education Union (NEU) set out a set of tests to be met nationally and locally before it is safe for schools to open more widely. The NEU does not believe these tests have been met in full. Most specifically, the NEU does not believe that a robust test, track and isolate system is effective nationally or locally. Independent scientific advice concurs with this NEU view that wider opening on 1 June is not safe.

We believe that not attending work in the current circumstances is an appropriate step for us to take for the following reasons:

• The dangers that are preventing us from attending work are the risk of contracting coronavirus and or spreading coronavirus to others.
  
• The person(s) we are seeking to protect are ourselves, our families, our pupils, their families, our colleagues, their families and members of the public.
• We believe that this danger is serious because coronavirus infection is potentially fatal and has already resulted in more than 37,000 deaths in the UK. In addition, some of those listed below have personal circumstances that mean the potential impact on them contracting Covid-19 is even more dangerous.
• We believe that, if we were to attend work, the danger would be imminent because
• we don’t believe that your plans for 1 June comply in full with the joint union checklist – available here https://neu.org.uk/planning-guide-primary-schools

In particular, the following measures have not been implemented or adequately implemented

[add here the elements where the school has not complied with the checklist or else attach a copy of your completed checklist indicating the areas of non-compliance]

In addition:

• Staff journeys to work involve using public transport, where they would be in very close proximity to many other people, some of whom may be infected and or carrying the virus.
• Our risk of exposure to Covid-19 cannot be reduced to an acceptable level.
• We will be happy to return to the workplace when it is safe to do so, for example if the following measures have been put into place:

- The NEU’s five tests have been met nationally and locally.

- The joint union checklist has been complied with in full and all measures put in place.In the meantime, we are all willing to carry out any of our duties that can reasonably be undertaken from home.

I would be grateful if you would arrange to meet with myself and other union reps to discuss these issues further.

Your sincerely,

[Name of rep]

[List of members]