Three- and four-year-olds and children in Year 1 and Year 6 will be the first to take up childcare and school places as part of a phased return, according to the Prime Minister’s plan for easing lockdown.
The 50-page document lays out three phases in which Boris Johnson wants to ease restrictions.
Vulnerable children and those of key workers have been asked to return to school straight away while nannies are able to begin working from Wednesday.
Phase two of the plan, which is due to begin on 1 June, will see children in nursery, Year 1 and Year 6 return.
Schools have also been asked to introduce “some face-to-face contact” with pupils in Years 10 and 12.
Childminders will also be able to reopen from 1 June, the government has said.
The document also sets out specific plans for special schools and alternative provision and advises all settings on how to implement social distancing.
It states: “This decision is based on the latest scientific advice. By returning pupils gradually settings can initially reduce the number of children and young people in classrooms compared to usual and put protective measures in place to reduce risks.”
How are early years settings affected?
Nurseries and childminders will be able to open to more children from 1 June, the document states.
However, some settings may be asked to “cap” the number of children able to attend to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Guidance published by the Department for Education states: “Demand for childcare is likely to be lower than usual at first, and existing space requirements and staff to child ratios for these age groups should allow for small group working. Where the physical layout of a setting does not allow small groups of children to be kept at a safe distance apart, we expect practitioners to exercise judgment in ensuring the highest standards of safety are maintained. In some cases, it may be necessary for providers to introduce a temporary cap on numbers to ensure that safety is prioritised.”
Nurseries have been advised to phase break times, introduce plans to minimise contact between parents during drop-off and pick-up and minimise contact between children in different groups or classes.
Providers have also been asked to introduce regular hand washing and ensure settings are cleaned regularly. However, staff are advised against wearing facemasks and other personal protective equipment within settings.
Nannies will be able to restart work from 13 May, the government has said.
Schools
Pupils in transitional year groups or those due to take exams next year will be the first to go back to school, under the government plan.
Year 1 and Year 6 pupils will be the first to return with other year groups planned to “return in phases for at least one month before the summer holiday”.
Secondary schools have been asked to provide “some face-to-face” contact with pupils in Years 10 and 12 from 1 June, guidance states.
Official guidance states that primary school class sizes should be reduced to “no more than 15 pupils” meaning some students could be placed in different schools while social distancing measures are still in place.
Like nurseries, schools have been instructed to stagger break times, minimise contact between different classes, introduce frequent hand washing and cleaning of settings.
Schools are also asked to consider introducing staggered drop-off and pick-up times to minimise contact between adults.
Alternative provision
Alternative education settings have been advised to follow the same protocol as schools with pupils in Years 1 and 6 returning first with some face-to-face contact introduced for Year 10 pupils.
Class sizes must remain below 15 and increased hygiene routines should be implemented, the guidance states.
It adds: “Staff should use simple language to explain safety measures, and reiterate and reinforce key messages. Safe routines for access to toilets, hand-cleaning and break and lunch times should be put in place. Teaching resources can be used to aid understanding.”
It also states: “If it is deemed that a child or young person may not be able to follow instructions, to determine what mitigations need to be put in place and whether, in rare circumstances, they should stay at home.”
Special schools
Unlike mainstream schools, special schools and post-16 special institutions have been asked to priortise the return of children and young people “based on key transitions and the impact on life chances and development”.
Leaders have been advised to implement a rota system “so that as many children as possible can benefit from attending their setting”.
Local authorities and parents should work closely with schools to inform individual plans for students returning to school, guidance states.
Free school meals
Schools are expected to provide meals for all students with those provided to children eligible for free school meals given free of charge.
“To ensure food is available for pupils who attend, educational settings are expected to reopen their kitchens and ensure that meals are able to be prepared and served safely,” guidance states.
It also adds that catering teams should be “better placed” to provide food parcels for vulnerable children not in school from 1 June.
However, the guidance states that free school meals vouchers, introduced by the government during lockdown “will also continue to be available where needed”.
What has the sector said?
Response from across the sector, from teachers and early years leaders to children’s services staff, has been mixed.
The National Education Union (NEU) has branded the decision to begin reopening schools as “reckless”.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Coronavirus continues to ravage communities in the UK and the rate of Covid-19 infection is still far too great for the wider opening of our schools.”
Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour's shadow education secretary, said: “In the absence of clear scientific advice and a safety plan, the government has not demonstrated it is in a position to start planning for the wider safe opening of schools, or given any reassurance to parents, teachers and pupils that they will be safe.
“There is no information about how social distancing will work in schools, how teaching and support staff, pupils and parents will be protected from the virus, how small class sizes will be achieved, and no evidence behind the decision to select some year groups over others.
“The government must urgently convene education unions and the profession more widely and address their concerns, to allay the anxiety and confusion caused by Boris Johnson's announcement and this guidance.
“By working with the sector the government can create a workable plan for the reopening of schools when the science indicates it is safe to do so, and which has the confidence of all those affected.”
However, June O’Sullivan, chief executive of London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) said she was “delighted” to hear that settings would reopen.
"A detailed plan of action has already been presented to ministers which will allow operators to ‘stay alert’ whilst keeping both children and workers safe. Furthermore, and where possible, outdoor learning could offer a template for socially distanced early years and embrace the benefits of education in the outdoors whereby you don’t need so many toys, which means fewer surfaces where the virus can be passed on.
“Throughout the lockdown, we have been canvassing parents who continue to attend nursery about what worked well and what made them feel safe and happy to bring their children to the nurseries. We have incorporated their views into our wider operations plan,” said O’Sullivan.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said that nurseries, pre-schools and childminders need a clear plan of action on how they are going to be supported, both practically and financially, to re-open as lockdown eases.
“While the roadmap states that the government expects some children to be able to return to early years settings from 1 June, the sector urgently needs more detail on exactly how this is expected to work in practice,” he added.
Meanwhile, giving evidence to the education select committee on the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable children, Jenny Coles, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, said schools and children’s services needed “five to six weeks” to prepare for schools to reopen.
She said the timeframe was necessary to instill a “confidence” in parents that it was safe for children to return to school but also for schools to set up “wrap-around care” for children worst affected by the virus.
“The lead in time for phased return needs to be long enough for schools and local authorities to set up safety and practical issues but also the mental health, counselling, behaviour support. There was an increasing amount of mental health support being set up in schools but some of those resources have had to be taken away. There is very likely to be a shortfall.”
