Update 02/07/2020: The Education Secretary has today released guidance on what schools will look like upon the return of ALL YEARS in September. Please CLICK HERE for the government's plan to get all pupils back in the classroom.
Update 16/06/2020: Having lobbied the government heavily on this matter I am pleased that the government has announced plans to set up a "Covid Summer Food Fund" to provide food vouchers covering the six-week holiday period. Read more here.
This post has been updated as of 26th May in line with new government guidance. All new information is in the blue boxes.
As we slowly adjust the lockdown measures, the government has announced that certain year groups may be going back to education settings from 1st June. As a parent, I understand there will be mixed emotions as we think about children returning to school and every family’s circumstances will be different. So I wanted to help explain how things will look when your child goes back to school or childcare, and how they will stay safe.
It’s hoped that children’s mental health and personal development will benefit from social interaction with their teachers and friends again, whilst childcare will help parents who are getting ready to go back to work. Do note that all the government plans are subject to changes in scientific and medical advice. If the independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advises the government to halt school openings, or to reverse decisions I fully expect the government to do so.
I have also compiled some resources for children of different year groups at the bottom of this post - please do have a look.
Please don’t be afraid to get in touch via my contact form or via my email if you need any further information.
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Why Reception, Year 1 or Year 6 have been asked to return:
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If your child is in Year 10 or 12:
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Children of critical workers and vulnerable children of all years:
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If your child is in Nursery:
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If your child is not in the above groups:
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Homeschooling resources for parents
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If your child is clinically vulnerable or extremely clinically vulnerable:
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If your child shares a household with clinically vulnerable or extremely clinically vulnerable:
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Social Distancing measures in Nurseries:
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Social Distancing measures in Schools:
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The use of PPE & Face Coverings in Schools:
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What happens if a child displays coronavirus symptoms:
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What happens if there is a confirmed case of Coronavirus:
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Attendance:
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Meals, Playtimes, Drop-Offs and Collections:
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Curriculum and Exams:
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Teachers who are Clinically Vulnerable or Clinically Extremely Vulnerable
Why Reception, Year 1 or Year 6 children have been asked to return:
Depending on progress in fighting COVID-19 and the scientific advice given to government, these year groups will be asked to return to primary school from 1st June.
Reception and Year 1 were learning essential skills in numeracy, literacy and social interactions before lockdown. Scientists have noted that development at this stage will influence a child’s future learning. It is believed that prolonged remote learning can have a detrimental impact on our children. Combined with the high scientific confidence that young children rarely become unwell from COVID-19 and have less contact with others outside school, these year groups have been deemed safe to return.
Year Six is a time of crucial preparation for the transition to secondary school. Teachers often spend time after exams giving pupils the tools they need for Year 7, whilst those last months with our oldest friends at school can provide closure. Our scientists believe that 10-11 year olds can also be trusted to maintain social distancing. Click here to read more.
Any child currently attending another school due to closure of their current one should return to their normal school upon reopening.
If your child is in Year 10 or 12:
Schools and Colleges have been asked to provide some face-to-face support for Year 10 and 12 to supplement online learning. The government does not expect these pupils to follow a full timetable, but instead, teachers should minimise the number of students attending and consider how to best use short periods of in-person support. Click here to learn more.
Children of critical workers and vulnerable children of all years:
The guidance for children of critical workers has changed. Now, children of critical workers, as defined by the government, are encouraged to attend primary and secondary school, rather than told to stay at home if at all possible. Vulnerable children are also encouraged to attend if appropriate.
Schools will be encouraged to hold breakfast club and after-school provision to help support children of essential workers.
A "vulnerable child" is a child that has a child in need plan, a child protection plan, has an assigned social worker or who is a looked-after child. You can read more about vulnerable children here.
If your child is in Nursery:
From 1st June, nurseries have been asked to welcome back all children below school age. This is because the government has been advised that younger children are unlikely to become unwell with COVID-19, or rarely have severe symptoms.
Any child currently attending nursery due to closure of their current one should return to their normal provider upon reopening.
In the meantime, from 13th May, registered childminders have been allowed to provide childcare for the children of one household if they are not already looking after vulnerable children or children of critical workers. They will have to follow strict government rules and guidelines.
If your child is not in the above groups:
All children outside of the groups mentioned cannot yet be welcomed back into schools. We need to maintain social distancing as best as we can. The government’s aim, depending on our success with lowering the infection rate, is for all primary school children to get a month in the classroom before the end of the summer term.
The government has released a batch of reports from SAGE on their findings from behavioural science models, which you can view here. DfE then followed this up by explaining their decision to reopen settings to certain years based on this information. Read that here.
If your child is clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable:
If you have received an NHS letter asking your child to shield, or have conditions on the "People at Moderate risk" or "People at High Risk" section of this list they should continue to shield and are not expected to attend education. Do speak to your GP if you need further advice on this matter.
I realise that the children who are continuing to shield as their friends begin to go back to school may find this extremely challenging, do consider utilising the mental wellbeing resources provided for children by the government.
New guidance has been released that encourages children with an EHC plan to return to school from 1st June if they are in the mentioned year groups, as long as their personal risk assessment deems it safe to do so. More info on guidance for returning SEN children can be found here.
If your child shares a household with clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable people:
Children can attend school if they live with someone clinically vulnerable - as above clinically vulnerable people have conditions on the "People at Moderate risk" section of this list.
But when living with a clinically extremely vulnerable person, ie people who have received an NHS letter asking them to shield or have conditions on the "People at High risk" section of this list, a child should only go if you as their parent or carer believe that they are able to understand and follow social distancing instructions. If unable to follow social distancing, these children would be given support to continue learning at home.
Social Distancing measures in Nurseries:
Pre-school children are at low risk to COVID-19, but their close relationship with carers and other kids means precautions must be taken. Whilst the guidance holds a realistic view that early years children cannot be expected to adhere to stringent social distancing, there is an emphasis on minimising contact and teaching good hygiene. Click here to read more.
As a result, nurseries will only allow children to mix in small, consistent groups if possible. Providers are encouraged to increase the activities they do outdoors where risk is lower. Soft toys and unnecessary items that are difficult to clean will be moved away. Play equipment will be cleaned regularly. Nurseries are being asked to organise extended hours with cleaning contractors to deal with this extra workload.
Everyone should clean their hands on arrival, before and after eating, and after sneezing or coughing. Hand sanitizer must be provided when sinks are not nearby. Breaks will be staggered whilst rooms should be preferably accessed directly from outside if possible. Shared rooms should open at half capacity. By setting these rigorous standards, we will keep childcare settings as safe as possible.
Nurseries will be allowed to introduce a temporary cap on child numbers to maintain social distancing. They can get in touch with North Lincs Council ,who are responsible for demand and capacity, to discuss the amount of children they are caring for.
Social Distancing measures in Schools:
Every aspect of school life will be altered to maximise pupil and teacher safety. Whilst stringent social distancing is not expected among the younger years, plans will be put in place to minimise contact at all times and encourage good hygiene as a habit. On class sizes, the general principle is that classes should be split in half, with groups of no more than 15 along with a teacher. These small groups should not mix with others. Desks will be as far apart as the environment allows. Children and staff will be asked to wash their hands upon arrival, before and after eating and after sneezing or coughing.
Movement will be reduced around school. Although there is very little risk of transmission when briskly passing others in a corridor, the government is encouraging schools to consider one-way circulation or a divider in corridors. Transmission risk will decrease further if children access rooms directly from outside.
Teachers are being asked to consider which lessons or activities could take place outdoors too. Frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned regularly, whilst breaks and lunchtimes will be staggered so that shared spaces can be used at half capacity. Schools are being asked to organise extended hours with cleaning contractors to deal with this extra workload.
There are guidance on how schools can maintain the protection measures put in place.
What happens if a child displays coronavirus Symptoms in school:
If this situation occurs at school, the child will be moved to a room where they can be isolated behind a closed door with appropriate adult supervision depending on the age of the child. Ideally, the room will be ventilated with a window. The child should then be picked up and taken home. The room will then be cleaned and disinfected before being used by anyone else.
Please remind your child of the three main symptoms of coronavirus before they return to school; a continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss/change of taste or smell (anosmia). If anyone from your family displays these symptoms the whole family should self isolate, and request for a Coronavirus test. You can arrange for a coronavirus test here.
What happens if there is a confirmed case of Coronavirus:
As above, EVERYONE AGED FIVE AND OVER IN THE UK IS NOW ELIGIBLE FOR A TEST IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS. If a child tests positive, the rest of the group that the child was mixing with will be advised to self-isolate for 14 days and will not be attending school. The households of these groups will not need to self-isolate unless the member of the group develops symptoms.
If several cases begin to spring up in a school, Public Health England’s Local Health Protection team will investigate and act rapidly. It is possible that whole year groups could be asked to self-isolate, but thanks to the stringent social distancing and consistent grouping of small teams of children, the chances of this will be drastically lowered.
Although these actions may seem drastic, we must remember that they are precautionary. Advice to self-isolate is based on maximising the child’s safety rather than an assumption that he or she already has the disease.
The use of PPE & Face Coverings in Schools:
PPE will not need to be used by children as our scientists have advised us that the measures in place, combined with the lower risk for young children, makes such protection unnecessary. However, staff SHOULD have PPE in supply for two reasons:
- If a child already has care needs that involve the use of PPE
- If a child becomes unwell with symptoms of coronavirus and still needs direct personal care
In the latter situation, a fluid-resistant surgical face mask should be worn if two metres distance cannot be maintained. Ideally, the supervising adult should also have disposable gloves and a disposable apron in case contact is necessary, along with eye protection if required.
If your school has problems accessing PPE please ask the school to get in touch with me directly.
Face coverings in education settings are not recommended, and certainly should not be worn by younger children who may not be able to handle them as directed. Click here to read more about the reasons.
More detail has now been added regarding the type of PPE that schools should hold, and when they should be used: View here.
Whilst children should use face coverings on public transport if able to do so, there are different considerations for school transport which can be read here. Face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 3 or those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly.
Attendance:
Attendance is encouraged for all eligible groups and an attendance register will be recorded from 1st June to track numbers, but neither parents nor schools will be penalised if children do not attend. Parents should still notify their school of absences, and the school should follow this up with a constructive discussion on their concerns, and accommodate needs where possible
Schools are able to extend the registration period in the morning to compensate for pupils who may be using alternative modes of transport to get to school.
Meals, Playtimes, Drop-Offs and Collections:
If sharing rooms for lunch, they should be at half capacity and cleaned in-between groups. Lunches could be brought into classrooms to prevent the increased risk of using shared rooms.
Breaks will be staggered with social distancing advised. The risk of transmission is much lower in outdoor spaces so children should use it whenever possible.
On drop-offs and collections, only one parent should accompany their child to the education setting. Schools and nurseries have been encouraged to introduce staggered drop-off and collection times to prevent gatherings, but either way, parents should not meet at entrances or enter the site except for a safe, pre-arranged appointment.
Curriculum and Exams For All Years:
There will be no penalties if schools do not follow curriculum standards. Instead, an emphasis has been put on the mental health and wellbeing of the pupils, and the government has put up some resources online for both primary and secondary children to help them cope. This should be just as useful for those who continue to learn from home.
Teachers are also encouraged to fill in any essential gaps that may have been missed in the past few weeks. The focus should be on seeing where children are in their learning, and adjusting the curriculum so that pupils can get back up to speed whilst considering the difficult circumstances.
Proposals for an additional exam series in Autumn for GCSE, AS and A-Level are currently in the consultation phase until 8th June. You can view the current options being assessed and respond yourself here.
Teachers who are Clinically Vulnerable or Clinically Extremely Vulnerable
School staff defined as clinically extremely vulnerable should continue to follow rigorous shielding measures by working from home.
Clinically vulnerable individuals should also work at home where possible, through creating lesson plans or supporting remote education. Teaching assistants are allowed to lead small groups under the direction of teachers working from home. If clinically vulnerable staff cannot work from home, they should be given safe jobs which allow for social distancing. if preferred, these individuals can take on a role without social distancing, but they must discuss whether this involves an acceptable level of risk with school leaders. If you are a clinically vulnerable school staff with concerns please get in touch with me directly.
Homeschooling resources for parents
A number of incredible online outlets have been created to provide remote education for all ages at this strange time.
PRE-SCHOOL:
- Hungry Little Minds is a wonderful campaign promoting activities for age groups up to the age of 5.
- BBC’s Tiny Happy People provides resources for parenting, with an emphasis on developing children’s communication skills.
SCHOOLS:
- The government website has a vast list of resources for primary and secondary pupils.
- BBC Bitesize has put together a set of daily lessons for every year group.
- Similarly, the Oak National Academy has also been set up by teachers so that parents can hold lessons from home for every subject.