Schools: Remote Education

(asked on 21st July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to monitor schools’ ability to maintain remote support for pupils who are not attending school as a result of covid-19.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 6th September 2021

The Department recognises that head teachers and staff have worked hard to provide high quality on site and remote education, where it has been needed, to pupils.

School attendance is mandatory for all pupils of compulsory school age. The Department expects schools to provide remote education for pupils who test positive for COVID-19, where they are well enough to be educated from home, for the 2021/22 academic year.

The Department issued a new remote education temporary continuity direction for the 2021/22 academic year, providing clarity about what is expected and ensuring consistency with the last academic year, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-temporary-continuity-direction-explanatory-note. Schools affected by the temporary continuity direction must provide remote education for state funded, school aged pupils whose attendance would be contrary to local public health advice, Government guidance or law relating to COVID-19. Schools must also have regard to the expectations for remote education, published here: https://get-help-with-remote-education.education.gov.uk/statutory-obligations. These remain the same as the last academic year.

A comprehensive package of support continues to be available to schools and colleges to help them meet the remote education expectations: https://get-help-with-remote-education.education.gov.uk/.

Ofsted will return to a full programme of routine inspections from September 2021. As set out in the school inspection handbook, where remote education remains in place, inspectors may observe remote teaching and review materials.

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