5. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure there are no disruptions to children and young people's education during the next six months? OQ55604

I published learning guidance in the summer, which set out our priorities for all scenarios, including blended learning. I have also announced a Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards programme and extra support for A-level students, and I have modified the curriculum requirements to take pressure off schools.

Thank you, Minister. Unfortunately, in recent weeks we have discovered just how hard it is to keep coronavirus in check. Future outbreaks are sadly inevitable. What we have to do is ensure that those outbreaks do not disrupt a single day of education. Minister, we have seen entire year groups sent home as a result of infections, and while we do everything possible to prevent the infections and stop such actions being necessary, we also have to prepare for the worst. Minister, what actions can you take to ensure a seamless transition from in-person to online learning, and will you ensure that schools are equipped to deliver classes virtually as opposed to providing self-paced learning?

Can I thank the Member for the supplementary question? Can I make it absolutely clear to the Member that whilst we have indeed seen disruption to education this term, 1,299 Welsh state schools have not suffered a COVID case to date? So, I think we just need to remember that, and give thanks to those teachers, support staff, governing bodies and local education authorities that are doing everything possible to minimise disruption to children at this time.

The Member will be aware that we have invested significantly in recent years in digital learning, both in terms of the infrastructure for individual schools, the provision of additional pieces of equipment for individual students and connectivity for students who don't have it at home. Just to give you an example of how schools are preparing to deal with disruption, during the month of September so far, since schools started back, we have seen the establishment of 25,000 Google classrooms; that is more Google classrooms set up in the period of one month than we have seen over a period of years. Teachers and schools are taking all steps necessary to be able to move to seamless synchronous and asynchronous learning should disruption happen to an individual group of students so that they can keep learning at this time.

Minister, good afternoon. I'm sure you'll join me in recognising the courage and resilience of our children as they return to school in what is a very worrying time for them and their parents. What thoughts have you given to providing more pastoral support and care to children in Wales, particularly in primary schools and nurseries at this time? In recent years, there's been an increasing demand for counselling services amongst schoolchildren, often discussed in this Chamber. Particularly now the COVID-19 pandemic is with us, we are seeing further disrupted children. So, how are you planning to increase counselling capacity in our schools, build resilience and support children? 

Good afternoon to you, Nick. Like you, I am in awe of the courage and resilience that have been shown by our young people at this time. Supporting them with their mental health and their well-being is important, and that's an important reason why we were determined to reopen schools fully for all children for this academic year and to keep them open, because we understand the impact that lockdown and not being in school has had on many children.

But, clearly, for some children, the return to school, whilst it is a happy one—they could, indeed, have anxieties as a result of the pandemic or the situation that they themselves or their families may find themselves in. That's why I have worked hard with my colleague the Minister for health to provide additional resources for school counselling this year, with a particular emphasis on being able to expand support in the primary sector, not through traditional counselling methods, which are not really appropriate for our younger children, but with a strong focus on family therapy and group work so that our youngest children can also be supported at this time. 

I just wondered if you could tell us a little bit more about the attendance rates at school, because I think that will give us an indication of how effective schools have been at reaching out to young people who may be feeling very anxious about returning to school and assuring them that they are going to be safe, and that they should be returning to school for their well-being.

Thank you, Jenny, for that. Overall, nationally, attendance rates run at approximately 80 per cent—just over 80 per cent—although there are some significant variations in that. Not surprisingly, those areas with a lower virus transmission are seeing higher levels of attendance. So, we see particularly high levels of attendance in Monmouthshire, in Pembrokeshire and in those areas, as I said, where we see lower levels of transmission. But even in areas of higher transmission, the vast, vast majority of children are continuing to attend school.

Undoubtedly, where there is a case, that can have an impact. Yesterday afternoon I had the privilege and pleasure of talking to the headteacher at Ninian Park Primary School here in Cardiff. They started off the term really, really positively with high attendance. Unfortunately, they had an individual case, which did see their attendance immediately after that case drop. But as of yesterday they were back to attendance in the region of 86 per cent, and that's because the teachers, the headteacher and the governing body had worked really hard to provide the assurance to parents that they needed that even with a case it was safe for their children to be back in school.

We will continue to work with local authorities to ensure that the Welsh Government is supporting them and the teaching profession in providing reassurance. In some cases, we know that parents are being incredibly cautious and trying their very best. It's cold season, so I know that our chief medical officers are working together across the United Kingdom to be able to provide more advice to parents to help them make decisions about when it is right for a child to be sent into school and when a child, perhaps, should be kept at home and get a test, if necessary. I know that teachers are working very hard to have those conversations with parents and to provide the necessary reassurance.