On Thursday 28^th May the Prime Minister announced that the conditions the Government had set for a partial reopening of schools had been met and children in reception, Years 1 and 6 would return to school on the 1^st June with some secondary school students returning from 25^th June.

Despite this Government direction, most local schools in Derbyshire have not been in a position to open safely for a larger number of pupils and have remained open for key worker’s children only.

I know that this is a hugely contentious issue and one that matters deeply to parents and school staff in Chesterfield. I know how opinions differ on this, a YouGov poll on 1^st June showed 50% of respondents said that they did not agree that schools should begin to reopen, whilst just short of 40% did.

I have received letters and emails arguing that it is too early for schools to begin to reopen and others arguing that schools need to reopen as soon as possible for everyone, so I am aware that there are many people on both sides of this discussion.

I am aware of the consequences on the economy of parents not being able to return to work due to childcare issues. However, I am worried that schools returning too early could lead to a second spike in cases of Coronavirus.

Ultimately, my views regarding children returning to school will be guided by the relevant science, however I am very interested to know what my constituents think on the subject, so I have created the attached survey, which I would be extremely pleased if my constituents would complete.

If you can include your email address on the survey, I will ensure we keep you in touch with the latest developments with regard to school re-opening and the scientific advice and evidence that exists.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TobyPerkinsMPSchoolSurvey