UK: When will schools reopen for primary and secondary pupils? Latest Covid-19 lockdown updates

Publicado: 19 febrero 2021 a las 12:00 pm

UK/ 19 February 2021/ Source/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/

By Dominic Penna and Steve Bird

Boris Johnson’s plan to reopen schools on Mar 8 will be announced on Feb 22, as part of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown.

Mr Johnson ordered ministers to ramp up preparations for reopening schools after being told the UK is now past the peak of the current wave of coronavirus.

It is understood that ministers are discussing a proposal that will see primary schools return first, with secondaries a further week or two later.

Mr Johnson said he was “hopeful” that pupils would be able to return by Mar 8, but said this would be subject to a review of the latest data on Feb 15 of the success of the vaccination programme.

He said: “We have got to make a judgment about the effectiveness of the vaccines in bringing down the death rate and serious illness. At the moment we are not seeing the kind of conclusiveness on that key point.”

All primary and secondary schools have been closed since Jan 5 following the introduction of a third national lockdown in England, and have since offered remote learning for students. Only vulnerable children and children of key workers are currently allowed to attend schools for face-to-face learning.

Two reports by government advisors have suggested there is no data to show that schools are driving the spread of coronavirus but mounting evidence that keeping them closed is damaging children.

It comes as a new “catch-up” tsar who will run a task force to oversee plans for children to have one-to-one tuition and summer school was appointed by Mr Johnson on Feb 3.

The Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, has confirmed that schools will receive a two-week notice period before they reopen in order to allow staff to prepare for the return of pupils.

Mr Johnson’s optimism on school reopening is built on the success of the vaccination programme, as nearly 16 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine in the UK as of Feb 17. The daily case rate continues to stay at levels not seen since before the second wave, as 12,718 positive cases were also recorded on Feb 17.

What are the rules for children of key workers and vulnerable children?

The Department for Education said children with at least one parent or carer who was a critical worker could attend class – even if parents were working from home.

Those entitled to free school meals will continue to receive them during closures, according to Mr Johnson.

A DfE spokesman said: “Schools are open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. We expect schools to work with families to ensure all critical worker children are given access to a place if this is required.

“If critical workers can work from home and look after their children at the same time then they should do so, but otherwise this provision is in place to enable them to provide vital services.”

Vulnerable children could include “pupils who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home” due to a lack of devices or a quiet space to study, according to the advice.

But government guidance says parents who choose to keep children out of class will not be penalised.

What is the Government planning to help children catch up?

The Government has appointed an education recovery tsar, Sir Kevan Collins, to address the amount of learning children have missed out on during the pandemic.

The Prime Minister has made it clear that the Government’s immediate focus must be on education, and Sir Collins will head up a team of experts who will draw up proposals on how to help children catch up.

One-to-one tuition for pupils and summer schools are reportedly being discussed, and Department for Education (DfE) officials are said to be studying the evidence and cost-effectiveness of adding on extra classes at the beginning and end of the day.

In an interview with the BBC, Sir Kevan said: “I think we need to think about the extra hours not only for learning, but for children to be together, to play, to engage in competitive sport, for music, for drama because these are critical areas which have been missed in their development.”

He said teachers will need to be asked “to increase learning time for children”.

What do tiers mean for schools?

The new lockdown measures mean the entire country will be subject to the same tougher measures, including the closure of all schools. This means the tier system is not currently in place.

However, the Prime Minister has suggested that England will return to the regional tier system at the end of lockdown, meaning that schools can reopen if tier rules remain the same. However, sources have suggested that tiers could apply to the whole country, rather than geographical area.

Officials are believed to be prioritising the reopening of schools before any other relaxation of restrictions, such as the reopening of hospitality and allowing family and friends to meet in outdoor settings.

Are there any changes to exams?

Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, has indicated that GCSE, A-Level and AS exams may take place after all.

Mr Williamson addressed this possibility in a letter to the chief exam regulator on Jan 13 despite announcing on Jan 6 that exams would not take place this summer.

He explained that the replacement would be a “form of teacher-assessed grades, with training and support provided to ensure these are awarded fairly and consistently across the country”.

However, the Education Secretary stated on Jan 13 that he would “like to explore the possibility of providing externally set tasks or papers”.

While teachers’ predicted grades will still be used, the exams may be necessary so that teachers can “draw on this resource to support their assessments of students”, he said.

So far, there has been no official announcement from the Education Secretary on reinstating exams.

It comes as a major exam board backed calls for A-level and GCSE reform in the wake of Covid-19, as it says qualifications must be “fit for the 21st century”.

Edexcel’s parent company Pearson has launched a review into British qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds, saying the pandemic has forced everyone to “adapt and rethink” how to assess young people.

How will testing in schools work?

In December, ministers said secondary school pupils and teachers would be able to have daily lateral flow tests for a week if they have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

That would mean children could continue their education at school rather than entire classes or year groups being sent home to self-isolate for 10 days .

Henry Parker receives instructions on how to take a COVID-19 test at Oasis Academy in Coulsdon, Surrey, where children of key workers and vulnerable children are tested on arrival to ensure a safe return to the school. — Student Henry Parker receives instructions on how to take a COVID-19 test at Oasis Academy in Coulsdon, Surrey CREDIT: Aaron Chown/ PA

But on Jan 20, a joint statement from Public Health England (PHE) and NHS Test and Trace said the balance between the risks and benefits of a daily testing programme in schools was now “unclear” and plans were being paused, due to the higher rates of transmission and secondary attack rate observed in the new Covid variant.

Other parts of the testing plan in schools – including two tests a week for teachers and two tests at the start of the school term for pupils – are still due to go ahead when schools reopen, officials said.

The statement from PHE and NHS Test and Trace said: “Schools should continue to test their staff regularly – twice weekly where possible, in line with recommendations for other workforces that need to leave the home to work – and test pupils twice upon return to school, as has been the case since the start of January.”

Schools will employ lateral flow tests, which produce results in 30 minutes, and in the case of a positive result a second sample will be sent to a laboratory for confirmation.

Social distancing and ‘bubbles’

When schools reopened in September the Government published 25,000 words of guidance explaining how school children and staff should be kept safe.

So-called “bubbles” were created so youngsters could learn and mix with fellow pupils. Large assemblies or collective worship should not include more than one group, and break and lunch times should be staggered to keep bubbles apart. Ensuring these “distinct groups do not mix” makes it quicker and easier to identify contacts if a positive coronavirus case emerges or someone has symptoms.

The bubbles can be larger, increasing to whole “year bubbles”, if teaching demands require it. Books, games and shared equipment can be used within that group, but must be cleaned if then used by another bubble.

Older children will be encouraged to avoid close contact with one another. Teachers are not restricted to a single bubble, but are urged to stay at the front of any classroom to reduce contact. In class, pupils must sit spaced out side-by-side and facing forward.

The use of the staff room by teachers is also meant to be “minimised”.

If a pupil or teacher has symptoms or a positive diagnosis

Schools must contact local health protection teams immediately so those in close contact with the child can be traced. Currently, pupils in a bubble, year groups and (very rarely) the entire school could be asked to self-isolate. A mobile testing unit could also be sent to a campus.

Plans to give secondary school pupils and teachers daily lateral flow tests for a week if they have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, have been put on hold.

On Jan 20, a joint statement from Public Health England (PHE) and NHS Test and Trace said the balance between the risks and benefits of a daily testing programme in schools was now “unclear” and plans were being reviewed.

The decision comes after the new Covid variant was found to have higher rates of transmission and a higher secondary attack rate, increasing “the risk of transmission everywhere, including in school settings”.

The statement from PHE and NHS Test and Trace, said: “In light of this changing situation, we now recommend that the rollout of daily contact testing within schools is paused, other than for schools involved in further evaluation.

“This will enable the further detailed evaluation of changing circumstances including, potentially, lower infection rates and modelling work required to understand the benefits of daily contact testing in the this new phase of the pandemic.”

If a parent insists a child with symptoms should attend school, the headteacher can refuse to take the pupil if they believe there is a threat to others.

Do children need to wear face coverings during class?

Although guidelines do not recommend the universal use of face coverings, each school can decide whether pupils above Year 7, teachers and visitors should wear them when in corridors and communal areas, where passing briefly is deemed a “low risk”. They will not be worn in class.

A school pupil wearing a face mask on a bus CREDIT: Owen Humphreys/PA

A school supply of masks is also recommended for youngsters spotted wearing old or damp ones. Primary school children are not required to wear them.

Hygiene and cleaning

The guidance insists a “robust hand and respiratory hygiene” regime is in place, with children encouraged to clean their hands when they arrive at school, return from breaks, use bathrooms, change classrooms and before eating. Hand sanitiser stations should be commonplace, with possible supervision “given risks around ingestion”.

Staff will also supply and promote the use of tissues as part of the “catch it, bin it, kill it” technique to control germs.

“Enhanced cleaning” regimes will be introduced on surfaces which students touch regularly, such as desks, door handles, books and playground apparatus, which are cleaned with bleach and detergents. Toilets should also be cleaned regularly.

Pupils must limit equipment they bring to school, only carrying bags of essential items, “such as lunch boxes, hats, coats, books, stationery and mobile phones”.

Source

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/17/when-schools-reopen-uk-closures-lockdown-march-covid-19/