DfE Update - 3 September – Coronavirus

FAO: All Early Years Providers / All Schools / Children's Social Care / Further Education Providers

Department for Education

This is your email to keep you updated on the government’s response to coronavirus (COVID-19). If you have colleagues who would like to receive this email directly, please ask them to use this subscription form.

Today’s email includes information on:

  • CO2 monitor delivery schedules for state-funded special schools
  • how to record attendance in secondary schools in the first week of term
  • the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) for state-maintained schools
  • international travel for schools and parents

CO2 monitor delivery schedules for state-funded special schools

On Saturday 21 August we announced that CO2 monitors will be provided this term to state-funded education settings, including early years, schools and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding.

The new monitors will enable staff to identify areas where ventilation needs to be improved and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, helping balance the need for good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm.

The first deliveries will start from next week to state-funded special schools. Special schools, alternative provision and residential schools have been prioritised to receive their monitors first, given their higher-than-average numbers of vulnerable pupils.

The delivery schedule for these schools, across weeks commencing Monday 6, 13 and 20 September, is now available on the ventilation document sharing platform. The delivery schedule also includes the number of monitors settings should receive.

If you have any queries about your expected delivery date or the number of monitors received, please check the delivery schedule in the first instance. As deliveries will take place throughout the week, please wait until the following week to query a missed delivery, which you can do by contacting the supplier:

  • Rexel: 0330 0450 606
  • CEF (Flamefast): 01925 350 018

For any further queries about your DfE issued CO2 monitor(s) you can call the DfE COVID-19 helpline on 0800 046 8687.

Operational guidance will be available on the document sharing platforms next week.

How to record attendance of secondary school pupils in the first week of term

All secondary school age pupils should receive 2 on-site lateral flow device (LFD) tests, 3 to 5 days apart, on their return for the autumn term. Schools can stagger the return of pupils across their first week to manage this.

Schools should use code Y (unable to attend for exceptional circumstances) to record pupils who are not expected to attend school for lessons during the first week because of the asymptomatic testing programme and staggered return.

Pupils who are required to self-isolate during this period should continue to be recorded using code X (not attending in circumstances related to COVID-19).

Further information can be found in our guidance on school attendance.

Information for state-maintained schools on the National Tutoring Programme (NTP)

We are pleased to announce the launch of the second year of the NTP for the academic year 2021/22.

Last year saw over 300,000 pupils, whose learning was significantly impacted by the pandemic, benefit from catch-up tutoring and mentoring via the NTP. This year, we are aiming to reach thousands more pupils, all of whom will benefit from the support available.

Building on the success of the first phase of the NTP, we have listened to your feedback and expanded the programme. We recognise that each school has pupils with different needs. We have developed a tutoring offer that provides a high degree of flexibility and choice to support the pupils most in need.

Schools will now be able to consider three options available through NTP:

  • Tuition Partners – schools access tutoring from an approved list of tutoring providers known as Tuition Partners (TPs). TPs offer a range of subjects and provide targeted support for pupils in small group or one-to-one sessions
  • Academic Mentors – mentors work alongside teachers in eligible schools to support students. They are salaried members of staff and will work alongside teachers to provide a range of interventions, focusing on small group and one-to-one sessions. They will provide support tailored to schools, including subject-specific work, revision lessons and additional support
  • School-Led Tutoring (new to the NTP this year) – eligible schools are given a ring-fenced grant to fund locally sourced tutoring provision for disadvantaged pupils. This could include using existing staff such as teachers and teaching assistants or external tutoring resources such as private tutors or returning teachers. The grant gives schools the flexibility to use tutors with whom they are familiar

All schools are encouraged to apply for the NTP. To register or find out more about the options available, please see the information about the National Tutoring Programme.

Information for schools and parents about international travel

As part of a safe and cautious reopening to international travel, the UK government’s travel lists have been updated. You may wish to remind parents of the following:

  • international travel to and from the UK has changed – everyone will need to meet a number of new requirements so we can all travel safely and securely
  • before considering any international journey, parents should think carefully about the risks to them, their family, and their community, as well as the impact on their child’s education
  • to prevent new COVID-19 variants from entering the UK, parents and families should not travel to red list countries

Everyone who enters England having visited or transited through a red list country in the ten days before arriving in England must quarantine in a managed quarantine hotel. If parents are concerned about their ability to pay for managed quarantine, they may be offered a deferred payment plan and should call the Corporate Travel Management (CTM) helpline on +44 (0)20 7429 9983.

The information below has not changed since our last update

Department for Education COVID-19 helpline

The Department for Education COVID-19 helpline and the PHE Advice Service (option 1) is available to answer any questions you have about COVID-19 relating to education settings and children’s social care.

Department for Education guidance

Our guidance to support education providers, local authorities and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic can be accessed using the links below: