Schools: Coronavirus

(asked on 25th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will permit schools to provide remote teaching in the last week of the autumn 2020 term to allow for isolation periods before the start of the Christmas bubble period on 23 December 2020.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 30th November 2020

It continues to be the Department’s aim that all pupils, in all year groups, remain in school full time. Returning to school full time has been vital for children’s education and for their wellbeing. Time out of school is detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development, particularly for disadvantaged children. This impact can affect both current levels of learning and their future ability to learn.

As set out in the Government’s COVID-19 Winter Plan, nurseries, schools and colleges should not change their Christmas holidays or close early this term. Parents should continue to send their children to school during term time. A time limited change to social restrictions over Christmas does not require any children to be taken out of school prematurely. The head teachers and staff of schools have been doing an extraordinary job to remain open, keep schools safe and provide education.

Schools have implemented a range of protective measures to minimise the risk of transmission. The risk to children themselves of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 is low and there are negative health impacts of being out of school. Senior clinicians, including the Chief Medical Officers of all four nations, still advise that school is the very best place for children to be, and so they should continue to go to school.

Closing schools early would also cause additional disruption and inconvenience to many parents, including key workers such as NHS staff due to the additional childcare arrangements required as a result of this action.

If parents have concerns about their child attending school because they believe that they or members of their household may have particular risk factors, they should discuss these with their school.

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