Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the guidance and instructions it has issued to schools in response to the covid-19 outbreak is consistent and non-contradictory.

The Department for Education is working closely with Public Health England and others to develop guidance for the education sector on COVID-19.

The Department is engaging closely and constructively with unions, serving school leaders and other school stakeholder organisations to respond to sector concerns and support schools as they open for more pupils.

We continue to update our guidance in response to feedback and to ensure it reflects the most up-to-date information to make sure that teachers, parents and young people are as well-informed as possible in the current rapidly changing circumstances.

If staff or parents need further advice after reading the guidance on GOV.UK, the Department has set up a dedicated COVID-19 helpline for queries relating to education and children’s social care.