Education & Coronavirus

When will schools reopen? 8th March

The Prime Minister's Statement on the Covid Roadmap, at coronavirus press conference 22nd February 2021:

"I can confirm that two weeks from today – Monday 8th March – we will begin step one and schools and colleges across England will re-open and teaching in classrooms can start again. All the evidence shows that schools are safe and the risk posed to children by Covid is vanishingly small. But to offer even greater reassurance, we are introducing twice-weekly testing of secondary school and college pupils and asking them to wear face coverings for the rest of this term. Students on practical courses can return to university, but all others will need to continue learning online and we will review the situation before the end of the Easter holidays. We will allow breakfast and afterschool clubs to restart".

Primary school children, secondary school pupils and college students as well as university students on practical courses who need access to specialist facilities and equipment will all return on Monday 8th March.

All secondary school and college students will take three COVID-19 tests as they return to the classroom from the 8 March at existing school testing facilities. Schools and colleges will have discretion on how to stagger the return of their students over that week to allow them to be tested on return. After an initial programme of three tests in school or college, students will be provided with two rapid tests to use each week at home.

Education Road Map

On Monday 22 February 2021, the Department for Education (DfE):

announced changes for the early years sector
published updated sector guidance, including an evidence summary which sets out the evidence relevant to, and in support of, the Government’s decision that restrictions on education should be eased from 8 March 2021
announced additional measures to deliver asymptomatic testing in secondary schools, colleges, FE and HE institutions
published updated guidance to the sector on students returning to and starting higher education in the spring term

Below is the updated guidance on all of DfE’s announcements from 22 February 2021 and FAQs.

Early Years

DfE has announced two changes for the early years sector:

Firstly, the expansion of the asymptomatic testing programme to cover all private, voluntary and independent (PVI) nurseries in England.
Secondly, the recommendation for early years staff and visitors to wear face coverings in communal areas, where social distancing between adults cannot be maintained.

To view the updated guidance on ‘actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak’ in full, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.

Expansion of the asymptomatic testing programme in Early Years

Early years staff at private, voluntary and independent (PVI) nurseries in England will receive free home testing kits from next month to support the vital work of the sector during the pandemic. This expands on the current asymptomatic testing programme, which covers all staff at primary schools, school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools. This is a significant development that will help to identify positive cases more quickly and break the chains of transmissions.

Critical workers, including early years staff, have been accessing testing through local community testing programmes, which became available to all local authorities from January. All early years staff, as critical workers, continue to have priority access to PCR testing if they develop symptoms.

Face coverings: what has changed?

Previously it was not mandatory for staff and visitors to wear face coverings in early years and childcare settings. In situations where social distancing between adults in settings would not be possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas), settings had the discretion to recommend the use of face coverings for adults on site, for both staff and visitors.

Now, face coverings are recommended for adults in early years and childcare settings where social distancing cannot be maintained between adults (for example, when using indoor communal areas and in corridors).

Updated Education Sector Guidance

DfE published updated sector guidance, including an evidence summary which sets out the evidence relevant to, and in support of, the Government’s decision that restrictions on education should be eased from 8 March 2021.

To view the Government’s ‘evidence summary: COVID-19 - children, young people and education settings’ in full, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evidence-summary-covid-19-children-young-people-and-education-settings.

Key messages

The Government has always been clear that restricting attendance in education settings should be a last resort, and that restrictions should be eased as soon as the public health situation allows it. The overwhelming evidence is that the risk to children and young people from SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19) is low, but the risks to children and young people of being out of school and college are high and increase the longer restrictions on education are in force. Whilst education settings can be places where transmission occurs, there is no evidence of them driving largescale community transmission.

Although the public health picture is improving, it remains crucial that steps are taken to reduce and mitigate any risks within education and childcare settings. DfE has worked closely with PHE to develop and refresh the system of controls to reduce the risk of transmission in education and childcare settings, based on scientific rationale.

System of controls

Ventilation: It is important to ensure that settings are well ventilated and comfortable teaching environments are maintained. DfE will be working with SAGE and NHS Test & Trace on a pilot to measure the build-up of CO2 levels in classrooms.

Testing: Testing for the secondary school and FE college workforce, as well as testing for children and young people in secondary schools, FE colleges, special schools and specialist colleges, and alternative provision will continue. Twice-weekly asymptomatic testing will be also available for the primary school, school-based nursery and maintained nursery school workforce.

Safe wearing of face coverings requires cleaning of hands before and after touching – including to remove or put them on – and the safe storage of them in individual, sealable plastic bags between use. Where a face covering becomes damp, it should not be worn and the face covering should be replaced carefully.

Face coverings exemptions

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. For example people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate. The same exemptions will apply in education settings, and we would expect teachers and other staff to be sensitive to those needs.

For more information on face coverings in education, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education

Testing in educational settings

DfE have announced additional measures to deliver asymptomatic testing in secondary schools, colleges, FE and HE institutions.

Key messages

The Government’s testing strategy will help to break the chains of transmission of coronavirus in education settings by identifying asymptomatic positive cases quickly so that those who test positive can self-isolate. This will help to reduce transmission of the virus, keeping other pupils and students in face-to-face education. The asymptomatic testing programme does not replace the Government’s testing policy for those with symptoms.

The testing programme is already well-established in education settings. Over 4m tests have been completed, including:

Over 1.9m tests completed for primary school staff.
Over 1.9m tests completed for secondary school students and staff on site.
Almost 650k tests have been completed in Higher Education institutions on site.

On 22 February, as part of the reopening educational settings announcement, the Government announced additional measures to expand asymptomatic testing across education settings, including in Early Years providers, Children’s Social Care, secondary schools, colleges, Further Education Providers and Higher Education institutions. Twice weekly testing for primary, secondary school and FE college staff will continue (moving to home testing for secondary and FE staff in line with primary staff).

The below table breaks how asymptomatic COVID testing through the use of Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) will be expanded across education settings:

Rapid lateral flow testing for households and bubbles of school pupils and staff

In addition to arrangements for the testing of secondary school pupils, the Government has this week also announced that twice-weekly testing using rapid Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) will be available to adults in all households with primary, secondary school and college aged children and young people, including childcare and support bubbles. Essex families are being encouraged to access the free home tests from 8 March and take part in regular testing to help identify more asymptomatic Covid-19 cases and quickly break chains of transmission before they enter schools and colleges. Twice-weekly testing will also be offered to adults working in the wider school community, including bus drivers and after school club leaders.

As part of this approach, LFTs will be available to families from 1 March in different ways, including through employers if they offer testing to employees, at a local test site - https://www.essex.gov.uk/getting-tested-for-covid-19/if-you-dont-have-symptoms, by collecting a home test kit from a test site, or by ordering a home test kit online. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=ca1c659b-95d6-490e-87c6-d6c09e85ecfb&utm_content=immediately.

Further return of students to higher education from 8 March

DfE published updated guidance to the sector on students returning to and starting higher education in the spring term.

To view the Government’s ‘guidance for higher education providers’ in full, please visit: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963446/HE_guidance_spring_term_220221_FINAL.pdf.

Key messages

So far, the only students who have returned to in-person teaching have been those on courses needed support the pipeline of future critical key workers. Higher education providers are now asked to recommence in-person teaching and learning in a phased manner from the 8 March, for students on practical or practice-based (including creative arts) courses who need access to specialist equipment and facilities. These students should return to in-person teaching and learning from 8 March.

The Government are committed to getting all students back into university as soon as the public health situation allows, taking into account the spread of the virus in communities and the pressures on the NHS. The Government has worked closely with providers to support the delivery of testing via LFDs for all students and staff, including providing advice on encouraging student participation where appropriate.

What’s changed since the last guidance?

The guidance for higher education providers on students returning to, and starting higher education in the spring term has been updated to reflect that students on practical or practice-based courses are asked to return from 8 March. The Government will review, by the end of the Easter holidays, the options for timing of the return of remaining students. This review will take account of the latest data and will be a key part of the wider roadmap steps. Students and providers will be given a week’s notice ahead of any further return.

The guidance provides additional advice on the wearing of face coverings and the importance of ensuring good ventilation, in line with the latest advice from PHE to tackle the emergence of COVID variants. In addition, the guidance reflects the latest position for international students in line with the latest advice on travel bans and hotel quarantining.

Current University Guidance

Those students who are undertaking training and study for the following courses should return to face to face learning as planned and be tested twice, upon arrival or self-isolate for ten days:

Medicine & dentistry
Subjects allied to medicine/health
Veterinary science
Education (initial teacher training)
Social work
Courses which require Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) assessments and or mandatory activity which is scheduled for January and which cannot be rescheduled (your university will notify you if this applies to you).

Students who do not study these courses should remain where they are wherever possible, and start their term online, as facilitated by their university until at least Mid-February. This includes students on other practical courses not on the list above.

To view the Minister of State for Universities letter to students, please visit: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/949100/Minister_Donelan_Letter_to_Students_on_January_Returns.pdf.

The Government have previously published guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses/students-returning-to-higher-education-from-spring-term) to universities and students on how students can return safely to higher education in the spring term. This guidance sets out how the Government will support higher education providers to enable students that need to return to do so as safely as possible following the winter break.

If you live at university, you should not move back and forward between your permanent home and student home during term time.

For those students who are eligible for face to face teaching, you can meet in groups of more than your household as part of your formal education or training, where necessary. Students should expect to follow the guidance and restrictions. You should socially distance from anyone you do not live with wherever possible.

Financial Hardship due to COVID-19 (4 February 2021)

The Government have announced £50 million funding to help university students facing financial difficulties arising from the impact of coronavirus, ensuring no one is left behind as a result of the pandemic. This support is available to help students impacted by the pandemic, for example those facing additional costs for alternative accommodation, loss of employment, or extra costs to access their teaching online.

This announcement is on top of the £20 million announced in December – to provide financial support to students who are facing difficulties. The funding will be distributed by the Office for Students directly to universities, which are best placed to assess student hardship locally and will be able to prioritise the funding to those most in need of help. Students facing financial hardship are therefore encouraged to contact their university or higher education provider if they find themselves facing financial difficulties related to Covid-19.

The £70 million of further hardship funding is in addition to the £256 million of Government funded student premium funding already available for this academic year 2020/21. Last year the Government worked with the Office for Students to make clear there is flexibility in the use of student premium funding so universities can use this towards student hardship funds, including the purchase of IT equipment, and mental health support.

The Government also welcomes the news that a number of universities and large accommodation providers have already offered rent refunds for students that have been asked to stay away from their accommodation. The Government are encouraging all universities and large-scale private accommodation providers that have not yet done so to also consider offering students refunds or other financial compensation. The Government is also asking all providers of student accommodation to make sure their accommodation policies have students’ best interests at heart. The Government also urges them to communicate their policies clearly and ensure their terms are fair.

Mental health support

Recognising that some children and staff will need support this year, it is very welcome that action is being taken to improve mental health support. The £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme will support staff working in schools and colleges to respond to the additional pressures some children and young people may be feeling as a direct result of the pandemic, as well as to any emotional response their staff may still be experiencing from bereavement, stress, trauma or anxiety over the past months. The programme has been created with input from heath partners, mental health experts, local authorities, and schools and colleges. Schools will continue to offer pastoral support to pupils working remotely at home.

The Department has also invited educational psychologists to help provide temporary support for children and young people returning to educational settings.

This action comes on top of the existing commitment to invest at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year into mental health services by 2023-24 through the NHS Long Term Plan. This funding underpins the aim for an additional 345,000 children and young people to be able to access support through National Health Service-funded services or school- and college-based mental health support teams.

Mental health resources for children, parents, carers and school staff

The Department for Education have put together some useful links and sources of support so that children, parents, carers, and school staff can get the advice and help they need. They have also added a new module to the RSHE curriculum for primary and secondary schools specifically designed to focus on mental health. This important addition will enable much-needed conversations about mental health to happen inside the classroom. To view the resources that are available to help people who are struggling, please visit: https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2021/02/01/mental-health-resources-for-children-parents-carers-and-school-staff/.

£79 Million to Boost Mental Health Support for Children and Young People (5 March, 2021)

The Government have announced a £79 million boost to mental health services for children and young people - ensuring that mental health support is available for those who need it.

This additional funding will help ensure that nearly three million children in England can access this vital support when and where they need it – by creating hundreds more mental health support teams in schools and colleges. This boost will also mean children who need to, can access services in the community as well as providing this early intervention support in schools.

For more information on the increased funding to boost mental health support for children and young people, please visit: https://www.rebeccaharris.org/news/ps79-million-boost-mental-health-support-children-and-young-people.

Exams 2021

On 26 March, the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) published additional guidance on the alternative arrangements to GCSE, AS, A level and vocational qualifications in 2021.

GCSE, AS and A levels

Given the ongoing disruption to education caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government announced in January that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead as planned this summer.

In February, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed that students will receive grades determined by their teachers, with them only being assessed on what they have been taught, and not what they missed. The DfE has been working closely with JCQ and the awarding organisations who have produced guidance to support the provision of grades to students this summer.

The JCQ guidance, which applies to all exam centres in England offering qualifications regulated by Ofqual, covers quality assurance processes, training for teachers, grading, using grade descriptions and exemplification materials, the use of data to support grading, additional assessment materials, reasonable adjustments, the submission of grades, results and appeals. It also provides some additional information for exam centres accepting private candidates.

There will also be a process to support teachers to do what is needed. Exam boards will conduct checks where grades seem too low or too high. Students will receive results in week commencing 9 August 2021.

Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQ)

The Government must ensure there is as much fairness as possible for VTQ students compared to, where relevant, with their GCSE, AS and A level peers. For those VTQs most similar to GCSE, AS and A levels that are used for progression to further or higher education, results will be awarded using similar arrangements to GCSEs and AS or A levels.

Some VTQs are used to enter directly into employment. Exams or assessments will continue where they are critical to demonstrate occupational or professional competence and can be delivered in line with public health measures. Where the assessment cannot take place safely it will be delayed.

For smaller qualifications used for progression to further or higher education but are not like GCSEs or A levels in their structure, such as Functional Skills qualifications and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), exams and assessment for these will continue in line with public health measures. Alternative arrangements will be available for those who cannot access the assessments.

Results for VTQs that support progression to further or higher education will be issued on or before the dates announced for GCSEs and A levels. Results for other types of VTQ will be issued at the usual times during the year.

FAQs

When do children have to return to school?

Primary school children must return to school on 8 March.

Secondary school and college pupils will have a phased return to school between 8–15 March. This will allow for increased asymptomatic Covid-19 testing to take place as per the latest Government guidance. Individual settings will make specific arrangements for their pupils and this will be communicated directly with parents and carers.

Children who attend a special school, special post-16 school or alternative provision will be contacted by their provider to discuss their return to school.

Children who are vulnerable or whose parents are key workers and who have been attending school on-site throughout lockdown should continue to attend school.

Children who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (of any age), should not return to school. They should continue to shield and stay at home as much as possible, until further guidance is provided.

Will there be any changes to home to school transport?

Home to School transport is arranged separately by individual schools and colleges. Specific arrangements should be discussed directly with settings, however it is not anticipated that the latest guidance will impact on normal operating procedures.

What is the scientific rationale behind early years settings remaining open?

Early years settings have remained open to all children to support emotional and social development as caring for our youngest children cannot be done remotely. Current evidence suggests that pre-school children are less susceptible to infection and are unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission. PHE National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports show that since November, 0-4-year olds have consistently been among the lowest case rates of all age groups. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has recently made clear that the majority of children who do become infected only have very mild illness.

Early years settings have been open to all children since 1 June 2020 and there is no evidence that the early years sector has contributed to a significant rise in virus cases within the community. Early modelling evidence from SAGE showed that early years provision had a smaller relative impact on transmission rate when modelled with both primary schools and secondary schools. This is partly because our youngest children usually have lower rates of contact with others outside their household.

Will childminders get access to asymptomatic home test kits?

DfE are continuing to work closely with colleagues across Government and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for childminders and to review the testing approach available for childminders. Childminders should continue to access community testing facilities for asymptomatic testing. Early years staff, as critical workers, also continue to have priority access to testing if they develop symptoms.

When will early years staff get access to vaccinations?

The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.

Under the priority groups for the first phase of vaccine rollout, those over 50 years of age, and all those 16 years of age and over in a risk group, will be eligible for vaccination within the first phase of the programme. This prioritisation captures almost all preventable deaths from COVID-19 and will include thousands of those in the education and childcare workforce.

DfE is working with the Department for Health and Social Care to explore the evidence for prioritising staff in the education, childcare and children's social care workforce for Phase 2.

What evidence is the decision children and young people should attend school based on?

There continues to be strong evidence that children and younger people (<18 years) are much less susceptible to severe clinical disease than older people. The consensus view from SAGE continues to be that missing out on classroom-based education has severe impacts for children and young people, with clear evidence that further time out of schools is detrimental for cognitive and academic development, learning, health and wellbeing.

Recent ONS data continues to show there is no evidence that teachers and others working in education are at any higher risk than a range of comparable occupations. In November, data from the Covid Infection Survey (CIS) from 2 September to 16 October showed no evidence of difference in the rates of teachers/education workers testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared to key workers and other professions. ONS have confirmed that the conclusions of this analysis remain correct (on 22 February).

The Schools Infection Study (SIS) by PHE, ONS and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine showed that COVID-19 infection rates in schools among staff and pupils mirrored infection rates in the wider community. ONS data has also confirmed that death rates for COVID-19 in men and women who worked as teaching and educational professionals were not statistically significantly higher than rates seen in the population among those of the same age and sex.

DfE regularly reviews data, evidence and advice from sources including SAGE, PHE and ONS, to ensure our policies are guided by the most up-to-date scientific and medical understanding.

Will you speed up the vaccination programme and when will you vaccinate teachers and education staff?

The current vaccinations protect against severe disease resulting from infection with COVID-19. Evidence on their role in preventing transmission is promising but this is still at the early stage. As the risk of death from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation of the first roll out is primarily based on age (over 50 years of age), and all those 16 years of age and over in a medical risk group. Staff and students who are in the Phase 1 priority groups determined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) should be encouraged to have their vaccination.

DfE is working with the Department for Health and Social Care to explore the evidence for prioritising staff in the education, childcare and children's social care workforce for Phase 2.

School leaders are best placed to determine the workforce that is required in school, taking into account the updated guidance for those staff who are CEV. The expectation is that those staff not attending school who are still able to work should do so from home where possible. All staff should follow the system of controls to minimise the risks of transmission. Following the system of controls will reduce the risks to all staff significantly. Schools should explain to staff the measures put in place to reduce risks, and discuss any concerns individuals may have.

What are the objectives of the Government’s asymptomatic testing strategy in education settings?

The Government’s testing strategy will help to break the chains of transmission of coronavirus in education settings by identifying asymptomatic positive cases. Those who test positive will then self-isolate, helping to reduce transmission of the virus and keeping other pupils and students in face-to-face education. The asymptomatic testing programme does not replace the Government’s testing policy for those with symptoms.

Why are we testing people without symptoms of COVID-19?

Up to one in three people who have coronavirus (COVID-19) do not display any symptoms. By identifying them quickly, they can self-isolate and avoid infecting others.

What age pupils should test?

Children aged 11 and above attending a secondary school or college should be tested. This includes 19+ learners attending college.

Primary school children are NOT being tested. This is advised by Public Health England due to the limited public health benefits attached to testing primary school pupils. Younger children are less likely to catch Covid-19 so it is not deemed necessary.

How will the testing work?

Secondary school children will be asked to take three fast Covid-19 tests as part of a phased return to on-site education. Each test should be 3-5 days apart. These tests are self-administered, and parents/carers (or the young person themselves if over 18) will need to provide consent beforehand.

After these three initial tests, secondary school children can then take part in twice-weekly testing at home. These tests take around 30 minutes to give a result.

Results must be shared with NHS Test and Trace as per the instructions in the test kit as soon as they have completed it. They should also share their results with their school or college, whether positive or negative, to support contact tracing.

What happens if a child gives a negative test result?

The child will be able to return to/continue with face-to-face education in their school or college.

What happens if a child gives a positive test result?

If a child has a positive test result at any time, they will need to self-isolate immediately in line with current Covid-19 guidance. They will not be able to attend school or college until the 10-day self-isolation period is completed. If a pupil tests positive while on the school site, they will be sent home to self-isolate. Parents and carers will need to collect their child from their school or college in this situation.

They must log their result to NHS Test and Trace and inform their school of their result to support with contact tracing.

How often do staff and students need to test?

Staff and students of secondary schools/colleges choosing to take part will test at home on a regular basis (twice per week, 3 to 4 days apart). Regular on-site testing will continue in HE settings.

Are all staff included in the testing programme, or only teaching staff?

Enough test kits are being supplied for all staff on-site, including nursery and support staff, such as those responsible for running breakfast and after-school clubs.

What about vulnerable students or where schools are worried students are not carrying out tests properly?

Schools/colleges will retain a small on-site testing facility for students who need extra support, such as those who are unable or unwilling to test themselves at home. Further information will be provided about funding available to support this.

How effective are lateral flow tests?

LFD tests have been widely and successfully used to detect asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. The speed and convenience of the tests supports the detection of the virus in asymptomatic individuals, who would not otherwise have got tested. LFD tests are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for home use. The tests are highly specific, with low chances of false positives. They are also very sensitive and able to identify the majority of the most infectious yet asymptomatic individuals.

It is important to remember that these tests are an additional layer of health protection measure in addition to hand washing, face covering and social distancing which are as equally important to testing as no negative result can be an absolute guarantee.

Is testing compulsory?

Testing is voluntary. Students and staff are not prevented from going into the education setting if they do not take part. The success of this public health measure depends on as many people participating as possible. Staff, pupils and students are strongly encouraged to participate in testing as testing regularly helps to reduce the spread in school and college settings through asymptomatic transmission.

Anyone with symptoms, whether they are involved in this programme or not, should book a free NHS test (https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test) and follow Government self-isolation guidance until the results of their test are known.

Which children need to wear a face covering at school?

Secondary school children should now wear face coverings in classrooms where social distancing cannot be maintained (unless they are medically exempt from wearing one). They are already required to wear a face covering when moving around school buildings in corridors and communal areas, as well as when travelling to and from school on public transport.

Primary school pupils do not need to wear a face covering at school. Adults may be asked to wear a face covering when entering a primary school site.

What should parents do if their child is Clinically Extremely Vulnerable?

Clinically Extremely Vulnerable children should continue to shield and stay at home as much as possible until the situation has been reviewed and further guidance is provided by the Government. If this applies to your child, their school will be in touch regarding the specific teaching arrangements that will be put in place for them.

What do parents need to know if their child attends a special school or has Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)?

Many pupils will already be attending school, as many special schools, special post-16 providers and alternative provision have remained open during national restrictions. If a child has not been attending on-site provision at their normal setting, their school will be in touch to discuss their return.

Some children who attend special school, special post-16 school or alternative provision may be tested if they are of secondary school age. Special schools have flexibility in how they administer testing. These settings recognise the additional considerations around testing children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities. They will make sure to carry out any testing in the most appropriate way for pupils and their individual needs.

The DfE has confirmed that all therapies and support that would normally be provided for your child as part of their Education Health and Care Plan, should be also be provided.

What does this announcement mean for HE?

Higher education providers should recommence in-person teaching and learning in a phased manner from the 8 March, for students on practical courses who need access to specialist equipment and facilities. These students should return to in-person teaching and learning from 8 March.

The Government has worked with providers to put in place asymptomatic testing arrangements for all students on arrival at university, and for those students who stayed on campus, to reduce and better manage outbreaks of coronavirus (COVID-19).

So at what point will you say when remaining HE students should return to full attendance?

The Government will review, by the end of the Easter holidays, the options for timing of the return of remaining students. This review will take account of the latest data and will be a key part of the wider roadmap steps. Students and providers will be given a week’s notice ahead of any further return. Until then, we ask universities to continue to provide high-quality remote education, enabling students to access the help that they need to continue learning whilst at home.

Will all students graduate as planned?

Our priority is to support students to graduate on time with high quality qualifications that will help them progress into employment or future study. We have worked with the sector to prioritise the return of those who need in person teaching and/ or to access specialist resources and facilities. We continue to work closely with the QAA, professional bodies and the Office for Students to ensure that all students continue to get high quality teaching and learning and can meet their learning outcomes and graduate with high quality qualifications.

How will testing be used to support students to get back to university?

The Government have worked with HE providers to offer:

two tests to all students eligible to attend their HE provider, upon their return
twice weekly asymptomatic testing to all students eligible to attend their HE provider

All HE providers should set an expectation that students should take up the testing on offer and inform students of how they can access asymptomatic testing.

If students are on a placement and not attending university facilities, they should follow and participate in any testing regime in place at their placement. It is not necessary to travel to university to be tested before travelling to a placement, unless this is advised by the placement provider.

Twice weekly testing will help to break chains of transmission and identify asymptomatic infections.

The Government has also worked closely with providers to support those offering LFD testing to staff in parallel to students. HE providers are strongly encouraged to make twice-weekly testing available for staff and to advise those staff that are required to be physically present at work in the university, to take part in the testing programme.

How will GCSE, AS and A- level grades be awarded?

Teachers have the flexibility to use a range of evidence, including the use of optional questions provided by exam boards, mock exams, non-examined assessment (NEA) coursework, or in-class tests set by the school which align closely with the specification.

Heads of centre must be confident that they have considered the range of evidence used and its relationship with what has been taught, the quality of the evidence and how closely it aligns with specifications and have considered when the evidence was generated and under which conditions, including authenticity.

How will the department support teachers to make fair judgements?

The DfE wants teachers to feel supported to make assessments of their students and guidance published will support centres in developing a centre wide policy to ensure fair and consistent grading where possible.

Optional additional assessment materials developed and provided by the exam boards will include sets of questions organised to help teachers quickly find questions in the topics they have taught. There will be a combination of previously published and unpublished questions, with a proportion of previously unpublished questions in all subjects.

The questions will be provided to centres accompanied by mark schemes, example responses and, where available, data on past performance to support teachers in making their judgements.

How will vocational qualifications be assessed?

Guidance on teacher assessed grades for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) and other general qualifications is set by individual awarding organisations.

Awarding organisations will be sharing this information with schools, colleges and other providers over the coming weeks, as well as providing information at individual qualification level on their websites.

Ofqual is working with awarding organisations to ensure as much consistency as possible across similar qualifications and with GCSE, AS and A level where relevant, to ensure as much fairness as possible for all students.

How will private candidates be awarded a grade?

The DfE and Ofqual have ensured there is a clear and accessible route for private candidates to receive a grade this year, at the same time as other candidates.

Private candidates should work with a centre to be assessed on a range of evidence, as other candidates will be. JCQ have issued guidance to support centres assessing private candidates. The range of evidence could include the use of board-provided assessment materials or evidence created with another established education provider. Exceptionally, if insufficient other evidence is available, centres could conduct a recorded oral assessment.

To support centres with the additional requirements of assessing private candidates this year, and avoid the cost being passed on to candidates, the Government are providing a grant for centres to claim £200 per private candidate entry.

These candidates should have the same opportunity as other students to be assessed on what they were taught, and centres can conduct assessments remotely if needed.

How can students have confidence in their grade?

Teachers will have support and guidance on grading and centres will be quality assured by exam boards. Students will also have multiple chances to show what they know and can do, and will be able to see the evidence their teacher plans to submit for them. Students should therefore feel confident in their teacher assessed grades for this year.

However, an appeals system will be there as a safety net, in case errors are not picked up earlier in the process.

If a student believes that they have not been issued with the correct grade, they can ask their centre to check for errors and make sure they have followed their own process correctly. If a student still believes their grade is wrong, the centre should then submit an appeal to the exam board. A student’s grade can go up or down on appeal.

Will schools/students have to pay for appeals?

The Government will provide funding to awarding organisations with respect to formal appeals of teacher assessed grades submitted to them by state-funded providers and any providers on behalf of private candidates. These centres will therefore not need to pay a fee to awarding bodies when submitting their appeal.