COVID-19 Updates

June 1, 2020

** This information is received from the Government and regularly updated

01/06/2020

Wider opening of educational settings

Today, children in early years, Reception, year 1 and year 6 began returning to primary schools and early years settings. We would like to thank teachers, senior leaders, support staff and all those working in education who have continued to support children throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and have worked hard to prepare for the wider opening of education and childcare settings.

Handwashing and respiratory hygiene posters

The e-Bug project is led by Public Health England and has a dedicated webpage for learning resources on hand washing and respiratory hygiene. E-Bug has published posters on hand hygiene, and covering coughs and sneezes, to display in bathrooms, classrooms and shared spaces.

The hand and respiratory hygiene posters and other educational resources can be found here:

https://e-bug.eu/eng_home.aspx?cc=eng&ss=1&t=Information%20about%20the%20Coronavirus

Updated guidance on supply of personal protective equipment (PPE)

If education or childcare settings cannot obtain the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need, they should approach their local authority to help. Local authorities should, wherever possible, support them to access local PPE markets and available stock.

If the local authority is not able to meet the PPE needs of education and childcare providers, the local authority should approach their nearest local resilience forum which will allocate stock if it is available.

If neither the local authority or local resilience forum is able to respond to an education or childcare setting’s unmet urgent need for PPE, the setting will need to make their own judgement in line with their risk assessment as to whether it is safe to continue to operate.

If children’s homes, secure children’s homes, residential special schools, or other children’s social care settings have an unmet urgent need for PPE in order to operate safely, they should continue to approach their local resilience forum.

Information on PPE can be found in the guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings

Changes to the law on education, health and care needs assessments and plans due to coronavirus (COVID-19)

We have updated our guidance on temporary legislative changes to education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments to include information on cases in progress on 1 May 2020 when the amended regulations came into force, annual reviews requirements for those with EHC plans who are transitioning between phases of their education, actions following a tribunal ruling, and the unchanged duties in relation to social care provision.

The guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-law-on-education-health-and-care-needs-assessments-and-plans-due-to-coronavirus

Space related educational resources for home schooling

The UK Space Agency has published a collection of space related educational resources that schools, parents and carers can use when teaching their children at home.

The resources are available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/space-related-educational-resources-for-home-schooling

Updated advice for tier 2, 4 and 5 visa sponsors

The Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration has updated their guidance for tier 2, 4 and 5 visa sponsors in the UK who are supporting those affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The arrangements for students who are distance learning will apply until 31 July 2020, when they will be reviewed.

The guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-tier-2-4-and-5-sponsors


The information below has not changed since yesterday.


Preparing for the wider opening of schools and early years settings

Guidance on the actions for education and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June, at the earliest, can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020

Guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings

Guidance for early years providers to help them prepare to open their settings for children of all ages from 1 June can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-early-years-and-childcare-settings-from-1-june

Guidance for primary schools to help them prepare to open to Reception, year 1 and year 6 from 1 June can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools

Guidance for secondary schools to help them prepare to offer face-to-face support to year 10 and year 12 pupils from 15 June can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools

Guidance for parents and carers as schools and other education settings in England open to more children and young people can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

Department for Education coronavirus helpline

The Department for Education coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents and young people can contact this helpline as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687

Opening hours:

8am to 6pm – Monday to Friday
10am to 4pm – Saturday and Sunday

If you work in a school, please have your unique reference number (URN or UK PRN) available when calling the helpline.

Collection of guidance for educational settings on GOV.​UK

All of the Department for Education’s coronavirus guidance for educational settings can be found in one place on GOV.​UK at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings



Categories:

COVID-19 Uncategorized