The Prime Minister has confirmed schools and colleges will not return to full face-to-face education after the February half-term. Current attendance restrictions will remain in place until 8 March at the earliest.
Children of critical workers and vulnerable children and young people will still be able to attend schools and colleges. This includes special schools and alternative provision. Early years settings also remain open. All other pupils will continue to receive remote education at home.
It is hoped that if the target of vaccinating everyone in the top four prioritisation cohorts by 15 February is met, then those groups will have developed immunity three weeks later, by 8 March. The government will therefore look at fully re-opening schools from this date.
The Prime Minister also committed to providing a programme of catch up into the next financial year. This involves a further £300m of new money to early years, schools and colleges for tutoring, as well as working in collaboration with the education sector to develop specific initiatives for summer schools and a Covid premium to support catch up.
Commenting is Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson.
“The pandemic has had a truly terrible impact on the lives of so many people. While Covid rates are falling, it remains of the utmost importance to minimise the spread of the virus in our communities and take action to respond quickly to the new variant.
“It is this country’s priority to get all children and young people back into face-to-face education and apprenticeship training. But it is crucial we do this at the right time. I want to assure parents, teachers, children and young people that schools, colleges and universities will be the first to fully return as soon as the public health picture allows it. We will continue to engage with schools, colleges, universities and the wider sector on the pathway to full returns.
The next review of education attendance will take place in mid-February. The government has also committed to publishing a plan for leaving lockdown by the end of February.
