Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of recommending that schools in (a) Havering and (b) other London boroughs with high number of covid-19 cases should move to virtual teaching in order to prevent children and families from potentially having to self-isolate over the Christmas period.

Returning to school full time has been vital for children’s education and for their wellbeing. The leaders and staff of schools have been doing an extraordinary job to remain open, keep schools safe and provide education. Schools have implemented a range of protective measures to minimise risk of transmission. The risk to children themselves of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 is low and there are negative health impacts of being out of school. Senior clinicians, including the Chief Medical Officers of all four nations, still advise that school is the very best place for children to be.

Our approach, including advising schools to consider making Friday 18 December a non teaching day, has been informed by advice from Public Health England and seeks to balance the asks on schools to help in the national effort to limit the spread of the virus with the important need for staff to rest and recharge over the Christmas break.

Secondary schools will operate a staggered return in January, while testing is offered to minimise cases and transmission of the virus. Pupils in exam year groups, vulnerable children and children of critical workers will attend in person from the start of term and will be offered the first testing dates, whilst other year groups are educated remotely and return on 11 January.