Schools: Coronavirus

(asked on 28th August 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that schools are able to reopen safely during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 8th September 2020

The Government has been clear that all pupils, in all year groups, should return to school full time from the beginning of the autumn term. The Department published guidance to help schools prepare for this on 2 July. The guidance can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

The above guidance sets out measures which provide a framework for school leaders to put in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff, whilst also ensuring that all pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress.

This includes the public health advice schools must follow to minimise the risks of COVID-19 transmission. The public health advice in the guidance makes up a PHE endorsed system of controls, building on the hierarchy of protective measures that have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. When implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, these measures create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. Measures include minimising contacts between groups and maintaining distance where possible, encouraging regular handwashing, and enhanced cleaning.

All staff, pupils and their families will continue to have access to testing if they develop COVID-19 symptoms, and every school and college that has been attended by someone who tests positive will receive direct support and advice from their local PHE health protection team. Schools and colleges are also being provided with an initial supply of home testing kits to provide to children and staff who develop symptoms while on site and who may otherwise be unable to access a test, as well as a delivery of PPE, provided free of charge by the Department of Health and Social Care for the small number of instances where this is needed.

School employers and leaders are required by law to undertake a risk assessment to identify the risks the staff and pupils face and do everything reasonably practicable to minimise them, recognising they cannot completely eliminate the risk of COVID-19. School employers must make sure that a risk assessment has been undertaken to identify the measures needed to reduce the risks so far as is reasonably practicable and make the school COVID secure. General information on how to make a workplace COVID secure, including how to approach a COVID-19 risk assessment, is provided by the Health and Safety Executive guidance on working safely. This is available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/index.htm.

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