Coronavirus: Academy chain 'put teachers and students at risk', say unions
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The David Ross Education Trust is based in Leicestershire and runs 34 academies around the country
A national academy chain has been accused of putting teachers and pupils at "serious risk" by failing to prepare properly before reopening.
UNISON and GMB have reported David Ross Education Trust (DRET) to health and safety authorities.
The Leicestershire-based trust's primaries reopened earlier this week, along with others across the country.
The trust said the safety of staff and children was its "top priority" and its risk assessments were "robust".
Primary schools in England were allowed to open for Reception and Years 1 and 6 from Monday.
According to the unions, about 20 of the 22 primaries run by DRET reopened.
'Serious and imminent risk'
But in a joint statement they said the trust did not leave enough time to discuss the risks with teachers and unions or train them in the new ways of working.
A spokesman said in at least one case this was only done on the Thursday before reopening, when they would expect it to have started about two weeks before.
He added they would expect to have been shown the full details of how the schools planned to cope with reopening, and this had not happened.
The statement said: "We believe [failings at DRET] have placed the health and safety of pupils and staff at serious and imminent risk."
A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive confirmed they were assessing the unions' claims.
But the trust, which runs 34 schools mostly in Lincolnshire and around Northampton, said it was confident its risk assessments were "robust and rigorous", it had "involved staff throughout" and had carried out training.
It said it had "worked hard" to share all its information with the unions and staff were involved in developing plans in the two weeks before reopening.
A spokeswoman added: "Our primaries that re-opened this week all did so without any issues, having followed all Government guidance."
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