Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of continuing covid-19 isolation requirements on primary school-aged children.

The education of children and young people has been significantly disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department has considered a broad evidence base of assessments and a summary of the latest guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1000025/Evidence_Summary_-_July_2021.pdf.

The Department also continues to collect and publish data on attendance. In primary schools, COVID-19 related absence was 9.8% on 8 July, up from 7.4% on 1 July and 4.5% on 24 June: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

From Step 4 of the roadmap, it will no longer be necessary to keep children and young people in consistent groups (‘bubbles’) both inside and outside of school, as well as the need to reduce mixing in nurseries. Schools will also not routinely be required to undertake contact tracing for children. Instead, pupils who test positive will be subject to the normal test and trace process, which will identify close contacts. This will be limited to very close contacts. Unless they test positive, children and those who are double vaccinated will not be required to isolate from 16 August if they are identified as a close contact. Self-isolation continues for those who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Department will continue to keep these measures under review, in partnership with health experts and informed by the latest scientific evidence and advice.