Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans there are for integration of key worker children and other children when they return to school after the covid-19 lockdown measures are eased.

As a result of the huge efforts everyone has made to adhere to strict social distancing measures, the transmission rate of COVID-19 has decreased and the Government’s five tests have been met. Based on all the evidence, the Department asked primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside priority groups (vulnerable children and children of critical workers), from 1 June. From 15 June, secondary schools can invite year 10 and 12 pupils (years 10 and 11 for alternative provision schools) back into school for some face-to-face support with their teachers, to supplement their remote education, which will remain the predominant mode of education for these pupils this term. Priority groups can continue to attend full-time.

The Department has published a range of guidance for schools and nurseries to help them prepare for wider opening, including guidance on implementing protective measures and a planning guide for primary schools. These are available on GOV.UK:

• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools

This guidance sets out a range of principles for creating small, consistent groups to lower the risk of transmission. Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who are in reception, year 1 or year 6 should be included in groups with their own year group, up to a maximum size of 15 pupils. Vulnerable children and children of critical workers in other year groups should also be split into small groups of no more than 15.