1st June 2020

Wider opening of educational settings

Today, children in early years, Reception, year 1 and year 6 began returning to primary schools and early years settings. We would like to thank teachers, senior leaders, support staff and all those working in education who have continued to support children throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and have worked hard to prepare for the wider opening of education and childcare settings.

Handwashing and respiratory hygiene posters

The e-Bug project is led by Public Health England and has a dedicated webpage for learning resources on hand washing and respiratory hygiene. E-Bug has published posters on hand hygiene, and covering coughs and sneezes, to display in bathrooms, classrooms and shared spaces.

The hand and respiratory hygiene posters and other educational resources can be found here:

https://e-bug.eu/eng_home.aspx?cc=eng&ss=1&t=Information%20about%20the%20Coronavirus

Updated guidance on supply of personal protective equipment (PPE)

If education or childcare settings cannot obtain the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need, they should approach their local authority to help. Local authorities should, wherever possible, support them to access local PPE markets and available stock.

If the local authority is not able to meet the PPE needs of education and childcare providers, the local authority should approach their nearest local resilience forum which will allocate stock if it is available.

If neither the local authority or local resilience forum is able to respond to an education or childcare setting’s unmet urgent need for PPE, the setting will need to make their own judgement in line with their risk assessment as to whether it is safe to continue to operate.

If children’s homes, secure children’s homes, residential special schools, or other children’s social care settings have an unmet urgent need for PPE in order to operate safely, they should continue to approach their local resilience forum.

Information on PPE can be found in the guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings

Changes to the law on education, health and care needs assessments and plans due to coronavirus (COVID-19)

We have updated our guidance on temporary legislative changes to education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments to include information on cases in progress on 1 May 2020 when the amended regulations came into force, annual reviews requirements for those with EHC plans who are transitioning between phases of their education, actions following a tribunal ruling, and the unchanged duties in relation to social care provision.

The guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-law-on-education-health-and-care-needs-assessments-and-plans-due-to-coronavirus

Space related educational resources for home schooling

The UK Space Agency has published a collection of space related educational resources that schools, parents and carers can use when teaching their children at home.

The resources are available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/space-related-educational-resources-for-home-schooling

Updated advice for tier 2, 4 and 5 visa sponsors

The Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration has updated their guidance for tier 2, 4 and 5 visa sponsors in the UK who are supporting those affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The arrangements for students who are distance learning will apply until 31 July 2020, when they will be reviewed.