COVID-19 Updates
June 10, 2020
** This information is received from the Government and regularly updated
10/06/2020
An update from the Secretary of State for Education on wider opening of education and early years settings
In a statement made yesterday in the House of Commons the Secretary of State for Education said that the Department for Education continues to follow the best scientific advice and that this cautious, phased return of education and childcare settings is the most sensible course of action to take. While we are not able to welcome all primary children back for a full month before the summer, we are working with the sector on the next steps to allow schools that have the capacity to bring back more children in smaller class sizes to do so before the summer holidays. We will provide further details in the coming days.
The statement in full can be found here:
Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
Thank you for completing the daily attendance return. It is essential that you continue to complete this form every day as your data helps us build a national picture of educational provision so that we can focus support more effectively and monitor the impact of the virus.
The online form can be found here:
Updated guidance on summer 2020 grades for GCSE, AS and A level
Ofqual has updated their guidance for teachers, students, parents and carers on summer 2020 grades for GCSE, AS and A level, Extended Project Qualification and Advanced Extension Award in mathematics.
The guidance can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2020
Informing the Department for Education of the death of a colleague across children’s services
We are asking employers and providers to tell the Department for Education if a carer or colleague across children’s services has died. There is no legal duty on employers and providers to submit this information to the department, however this information will help to make sure the appropriate steps can be taken following the death of a colleague.
To notify the department of a death, please email:
CSCcovid.NOTIFICATIONS@education.gov.uk
Applications for the college collaboration fund have now re-opened
Applications for the college collaboration fund (CCF) have now re-opened. This national programme enables colleges to collaborate and share good practice and expertise to address common quality improvement priorities. We have updated our guidance on how to apply for this funding.
The guidance can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/college-collaboration-fund-ccf
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:
Guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings can be found here:
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:
Guidance for primary schools to help them prepare to open to Reception, year 1 and year 6 from 1 June can be found here:
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:
Guidance for parents and carers as schools and other education settings in England open to more children and young people can be found here:
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.
Updated handwashing advice
It is essential that everyone washes their hands more often, using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Hand washing with soap employs mechanical action that loosens bacteria and viruses from the skin, rinsing them into the drain. Drying hands afterwards makes the skin less hospitable to the virus. Hand sanitiser can be effective if soap is not available or the situation makes using soap less feasible (i.e. when outside) but using hand sanitiser provides none of the virus-destroying friction that rubbing your hands together and rinsing with water provides.
The latest guidance and video on hand washing can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public
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:
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: