Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus

(asked on 16th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have issued guidance (1) to schools, and (2) to parents of children who were shielding because of health conditions and who have Education and Health Care plans, concerning the return of these children to school from 8 March.


Answered by
Baroness Berridge Portrait
Baroness Berridge
This question was answered on 29th March 2021

On the 18 March 2021 the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England confirmed that clinically extremely vulnerable people (CEV), including children and young people, will no longer have to shield from COVID-19 from 1 April 2021 as virus infection rates continue to fall. Those on the shielded patient list will receive letters with updated guidance on the steps they can take to reduce their risk. All CEV pupils and students should attend their school or college from this date unless they are one of the very small number of pupils or students under paediatric or other specialist care and have been advised by their GP or clinician not to attend.

To support schools during the COVID-19 outbreak the government has published guidance available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance. This contains advice for pupils and students who have been confirmed as clinically extremely vulnerable, including those with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP). Additional guidance to support specialist settings has also been published throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings.

The government has also provided guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people, including those who are CEV or who have an EHCP, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/what-parents-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-covid-19. Additional guidance on mental health and wellbeing is also available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.

The Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England on the 18 March 2021 released updated guidance for those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.

Reticulating Splines