Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to issue new advice and guidance to secondary schools on managing covid-19 infection rates in response to rising cases.

The Department is working closely with Public Health England to develop and refresh the system of controls which includes cleaning hands thoroughly more often than usual, minimising contact between individuals and keeping occupied spaces well ventilated to reduce the risk of transmission in schools. This guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance#system-of-controls.

Robust testing regimes and this system of controls, when implemented in line with schools’ own workplace risk assessment, create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. The Department's advice to schools on the way to control COVID-19 remains the same, even with the current new variants.

Our policy on the ‘system of controls’ is kept under review and based on the latest scientific and medical advice including in the context of prevalence, new variants and progress of the vaccination programme. We will continue to develop comprehensive guidance and to understand the effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils, students and parents.

In areas where there is a high prevalence of the Delta variant, we are increasing the availability of testing for staff, pupils and families and working with Directors of Public Health to reduce local transmission. On 8 June the Government announced an enhanced support package for any areas affected by local outbreaks. The package includes specialist Rapid Response Teams, surge testing and enhanced contact tracing, support from military personnel, specialist communication, supervised in-school testing and discretion to reintroduce face coverings in communal areas in schools if Directors of Public Health decide it is appropriate. Further information on responding to individual or regional outbreaks can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings.