Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to prepare schools for a potential increase in covid-19 cases in winter 2022 in respect of (a) helping schools to improve their ventilation and (b) minimising disruption to learning caused by staff and student absences.

The Department has provided over 386,000 CO₂ monitors to state-funded education providers. Where maintaining good ventilation is not possible, the Department has supplied over 8,000 air cleaning units. Schools are still able to purchase air cleaning units from the online marketplace set up by the Department: https://find-dfe-approved-framework.service.gov.uk/list/air-cleaning.

Most infectious diseases in education and childcare settings should be managed by following the advice set out by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities.

If a school suspects an incident or outbreak, they should review and reinforce existing measures, such as ensuring that any staff or pupils with relevant symptoms do not attend the setting while they are unwell as described in UKHSA’s guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-symptoms-of-a-respiratory-infection-including-covid-19.

The Department’s emergency planning and response guidance sets out how education and childcare settings should plan for and deal with emergencies: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings.

The Department will continue to review any emerging evidence, public health guidance and advice to help ensure that schools remain as safe as possible.