Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to make additional support and guidance available to special schools and alternative provision during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown; and whether he plans to make any changes to the proposed roll out of mass asymptomatic testing.

To support all schools, including special schools and alternative provision (AP) we have published guidance for schools on 7 January 2021, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak. Further Guidance has also been published for special school specialist post 16 providers and alternative provision: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/953215/Guidance_for_special_schools__specialist_post-16_providers_and_alternative_provision_during_the_national_lockdown.pdf.

The government is delivering a programme of rapid asymptomatic in schools and colleges, including special schools and AP. Rapidly identifying and containing any asymptomatic cases, which comprise up to a third of all cases, will help avoid individuals carrying COVID-19 from unknowingly spreading it.

In recognition of the additional considerations specialist settings will have to take into account when delivering rapid asymptomatic testing, we have published additional guidance which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/mass-asymptomatic-testing-in-specialist-settings.