Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus

(asked on 14th December 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in the context of the emergence of the Omicron variant of covid-19, what guidance his Department has issued to special schools regarding mitigating measures to help prevent the spread of covid-19.


Answered by
Will Quince Portrait
Will Quince
This question was answered on 5th January 2022

The government continues to manage the risk of serious illness from the spread of COVID-19. Following the announcement from my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, on 8 December 2021 regarding the Omicron variant, the department updated on 14 December the operational guidance for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and specialist settings to reflect the most recent advice on self-isolation, tracing close contacts, clinically extremely vulnerable children and adults and daily rapid testing. The guidance was further updated on the 2 January 2022 to reflect the recommendation that from 4 January 2022 pupils and students in year 7 and above should wear face coverings in classrooms where they are able to do so. The latest version of the guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings.

The department works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency on guidance, which remains subject to change as the situation develops, the imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education remains. It is our priority that specialist settings deliver face to face, high-quality education to their pupils and students.

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