Schools coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance

Updated DfE Guidance

The DfE has updated its operational guidance for schools during the coronavirus outbreak. This includes a number of important changes, including on face coverings, Year 11 and 13 attendance after May half-term, and CEV pupils and staff. The full guidance can be found here.

The key changes are as follows:
 

Face coverings

On the use of face coverings in lessons in secondary schools and colleges, the updated guidance says that the government is “taking this additional precautionary measure for a limited time during this period of high coronavirus (COVID-19) prevalence in the community. These measures will be continue to be in place until Easter.

Transport

The guidance now includes the suggestion that, when someone who tests positive has travelled in the same vehicle as other people, assessing who counts as a close contact of a should take into account factors such as:
• vehicle size
• degree of face-to-face contact
• length of time in close proximity
• whether a Perspex screen is in place

Test and Trace support payments

Guidance now references the fact that some parents of children asked to self-isolate are now eligible for financial support under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, and includes detailed guidance on the role of schools and colleges in supporting this.

Asymptomatic testing

This section has been updated to recognise that most pupils and staff are now testing from home, rather than on site.

Clinically extremely vulnerable pupils

Shielding advice is being paused nationally from 31 March. From 1 April, therefore, all CEV pupils are expected to attend their school unless they are one of the very small number of pupils under paediatric or other specialist care and have been advised by their GP or clinician not to attend.

Educational visits

The guidance continues to advise against any educational visits at the moment. However, it sets out how visits might resume, in line with the government’s broader roadmap, stressing that any dates for moving to the next step on the roadmap remain indicative. This means that, if Step 2 of the roadmap commences on 12 April as planned, schools will be able to resume educational day visits from 12 April, as long as they are conducted in line with relevant Covid guidelines and regulations. Domestic residential visits will not be able to resume until 17 May at the earliest.

Wraparound provision and extra-curricular activity

Detailed guidance is now included on how wraparound provision and extra-curricular activities can be resumed in line with the government roadmap.

Physical activity in schools
Detailed guidance is now included on how currently prohibited sporting activities can be resumed in line with the government roadmap. This includes the resumption of outdoor competitive sport between schools from 29 March.


Inspections
The guidance says that the DfE is “engaging with Ofsted and the sector on the inspection arrangements for the summer term, and will provide information about this soon”.