Schools: Coronavirus

(asked on 27th October 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the success of the covid-19 infection control measures in place in schools in the last six months.


Answered by
Robin Walker Portrait
Robin Walker
This question was answered on 4th November 2021

In February 2021, the government set out a roadmap out of lockdown, including for easing restrictions and the control measures that would remain at each step, including in education. In order to take each step, led by data not dates, an assessment was made by the government against four tests.

In July 2021, after a pause to Step 4, it was assessed that the four tests had been met for this – with the success of the vaccination rollout allowing for the safe and gradual lifting of many remaining restrictions across settings including education, whilst continuing to manage COVID-19 through vaccination and remaining control measures proportionate to the COVID-19 outbreak. Details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-summer-2021-roadmap/moving-to-step-4-of-the-roadmap. This includes continued guidance for schools to ensure they keep good hygiene measures in place, keep spaces well ventilated and follow public health advice on testing, self-isolation and managing confirmed cases. In addition, those 12 and over are now being offered the COVID-19 vaccine. Most recently, in September 2021, the Government’s COVID-19 Response: Autumn and Winter Plan 2021 assessed preparedness for autumn and winter, including plans for control measures. Details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-autumn-and-winter-plan-2021.

In making decisions on control measures in education, we have continually balanced the impact of measures on education, health and wellbeing, and the functioning of school settings, as well as the COVID-19 risks. As the balance of risks has shifted, given vaccination rollout, it has been appropriate to step down measures, as for the rest of the economy and society – with the imperative to maximise face-to face attendance and minimise disruption to education. The department published Evidence Summaries to accompany key decision points in February and July 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evidence-summary-covid-19-children-young-people-and-education-settings.

The department continues to monitor the latest and emerging scientific literature and to work with the Department of Health and Social Care, Office for National Statistics and UK Health Security Agency to develop our guidance for education and childcare settings. The UK Health and Security Agency leads on assessing the overall epidemiological picture and produces weekly surveillance reports, which include data on outbreaks in education and confirmed cases in school age children. Details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2021-to-2022-season.

The department collects and publishes attendance data for state-funded school settings. Attendance is currently higher than at the end of the summer term, when contact isolation was still in place in education settings. Details are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

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