Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help safeguard (a) staff and (b) pupils from rising cases of covid-19 infection in schools and colleges.

At each stage of its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has listened to and acted on the latest medical and scientific advice. As the prevalence of COVID-19 across the country and our communities changes, the Government has always been clear that it will not hesitate to take swift and decisive action to control the COVID-19 outbreak and save lives.

The Department has worked closely with Public Health England to publish comprehensive guidance based on a ‘system of controls’ which, when implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, create an inherently safer environment for staff, pupils and students where the risk of transmission of the infection is substantially reduced. This provides a framework for schools and colleges to put in place proportionate protective measures to manage risk effectively. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safe-working-in-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care/safe-working-in-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings-including-the-use-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe.

To safeguard the health of the teaching workforce and keep as many staff and pupils in school and college as possible, we will be making rapid-result COVID-19 tests available to schools and colleges in the new year. This will help identify asymptomatic cases, which make up a third of all cases, limiting the spread of the virus. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-asymptomatic-testing-in-schools-and-colleges/coronavirus-covid-19-asymptomatic-testing-in-schools-and-colleges.

In addition to the asymptomatic testing programme, from 4 January 2021, all secondary schools and colleges will also be able to offer staff and pupils a round of free COVID-19 testing, helping deliver the national priority of keeping as many staff and pupils as possible in school and college and fighting the spread of COVID-19.

We continue to provide information to schools and colleges on our guidance, and any changes to it, through regular departmental communications.