Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will set out guidance on what schools should do in the event that they have more vulnerable and critical worker children than their covid-19-secure risk assessments allow for; and if he will make a statement.

During this period of national lockdown, schools should only allow vulnerable children and the children of critical workers to attend face-to-face education. Limiting attendance does not suggest that schools and colleges have become less safe; limiting attendance is about supporting the reduction of the overall number of social contacts in our communities. In the face of the rapidly rising numbers of cases across the country and intense pressure on the NHS, we now need to use every lever to reduce all our social contacts wherever possible.

Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors. Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school if required. Schools should speak to parents and carers to identify who needs to go to school, and parents and carers who are critical workers should keep their children at home if they can. Schools are expected to allow and strongly encourage vulnerable children and young people to attend during this period. Parents and carers of vulnerable children and young people are strongly encouraged to take up the place.

We know that every school will have a different number of children of critical workers who need to attend. It is important that on-site provision is provided for these pupils. Schools should not limit attendance of these groups. This is because we are reducing overall social contact across areas and the country rather than individually by each institution.

For those who continue to go into schools, our priority is the safety and wellbeing of staff and pupils.

On 7 January we published further guidance, ‘Restricting attendance during the national lockdown: schools’, which sets out what all schools will need to do during the COVID-19 outbreak from January 2021. This guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950510/School_national_restrictions_guidance.pdf.

Schools will be familiar with much of this guidance, including the system of controls, which they have been implementing since the start of the autumn term.

The Department will continue to keep its plans under review and ensure our position is informed by the latest evidence.