Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has provided to schools on whether it is permissible for schools to allow pupils to return on a part-time basis in the event that schools are not able to implement satisfactory safety measures during the covid-19 outbreak for all pupils to return in the autumn term.

We are asking schools to prepare for all pupils to return full-time from the start of the autumn term. Schools should not put in place rotas. We have published guidance to support schools to plan for the autumn term. There cannot be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and school leaders will be best placed to understand the needs of their schools and communities, and to make informed judgments about how to balance delivering a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils with the measures needed to manage risk.

We do not consider it necessary for schools to make significant adaptations to their site to enable them to welcome all children back to school. We also do not think schools will need to deliver any of their education on other sites (such as community centres or village halls) because class sizes can return to normal and spaces used by more than one class or group can be cleaned between use. Following a risk assessment, some schools may determine that small adaptations to their site are required, such as additional wash basins. This will be at the discretion of individual schools, based on their particular circumstances.

Full guidance for schools is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.