Coronavirus: Latest guidance for early years, schools, social workers, youth and youth justice services
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, February 25, 2021
The government has published its latest "roadmap" out of lockdown which begins with the reopening of schools to all pupils next month.
Boris Johnson announced a third national lockdown in England starting on Tuesday 5 January.
All schools were closed to all children except those of key workers and vulnerable children while early years settings remained open to all children.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also introduced similar lockdowns.
CYP Now breaks down the impact of the upcoming changes on the sector in England:
Early years and childcare
Early settings, including nurseries and childminders, have remained open throughout the latest lockdown, having been told to operate as normal.
The latest government announcement states that restrictions will begin to be lifted from 8 March when schools will reopen.
On childcare it states: "Childcare and children’s supervised activities can also resume where necessary to enable parents to work or engage in similar activities."
The guidance also adds that support groups, such as for breastfeeding, postnatal, and baby and toddler groups, for that are necessary to deliver in person, can continue with up to 15 participants aged five and over.
Testing
In a change to previous guidance, the Department for Education has now said: "All staff at private, voluntary and independent nurseries will have access to tests to use twice weekly at home, building on the testing already available to maintained nursery schools and school-based nurseries.
"Childminders can continue to access community testing, and the department continues to work with colleagues across government to review the testing approach available for childminders."
Full government guidance including advice on attendance and funding is available here.
Schools and colleges
Primary and secondary schools and colleges will reopen on 8 March to all children.
All primary school pupils will return to settings on 8 March with individual secondary schools and colleges responsible for which years will return and when during the first week.
Secondary school and college staff and students have also been advised to wear masks in classrooms and areas where “social distancing is not possible” until Easter.
However, staff have been urged to “exercise sensitivity” over the wearing of face coverings when teaching children with hearing loss or those with communication difficulties
Attendance at school will be mandatory with parents threatened with fines for children who do not return, it has been announced.
Wraparound childcare for primary and secondary pupils, including after school and breakfast clubs, will also resume from 8 March where necessary to enable parents to access work, education or medical care.
Testing
All secondary school and college students will take three Covid-19 tests as they return to the classroom from the 8 March at existing school testing facilities.
After the initial programme of three tests in school or college, students will be provided with two rapid tests to use each week at home.
Secondary school and college staff will also be provided with two tests to use each week at home.
Meanwhile, primary school staff will continue to take two rapid Covid-19 tests each week at home and secondary school and college staff will also be provided with two tests to use each week at home.
Further information on the reopening of schools including testing is available here.
Catch-up support
The government has pledged to focus £700m in catch up funding for education in England on disadvantaged children, as schools and early years settings recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The plans for supporting schools and nurseries as lockdown restrictions ease include a one off "recovery premium" for primary and secondary schools, which builds on the pupil premium already distributed to schools to support disadvantaged students.
One-to-one and small group tutoring programmes is another focus of the government's efforts to help schools and colleges recover, with children and young people set to return to face-to-face education from 8 March.
The government has pledged to support the development of disadvantaged children in early years settings through £18m catch up funding.
The one-off recovery premium is worth £302m. The average primary school will receive around £6,000 extra while the average secondary school around £22,000 more. The government expects schools to use this premium money to boost summer provision, such as additional clubs and activities.
Special schools and alternative education providers
Special schools and alternative education providers have remained open to all pupils during the third national lockdown.
Guidance for special education providers is available here.
Exams
GCSE, AS and A level exams have been cancelled and will instead be marked using teacher-assessed grades.
Exam regulator Ofqual has said: "Our approach to standard-setting in 2021 will compensate for lost learning at a national level."
Further details on marking are available here.
Social care
The government has not yet updated guidelines for local authority children's services in line wih lifting lockdown restrictions.
The guidance currently states that six regulations first passed via the The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2020 and extended until 31 March 2021 will be permitted to relax local authority duties to children in care.
Temporary restrictions:
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allow visits to take place over the telephone, a video link or other electronic communication methods, where face-to-face visits are not possible due to coronavirus.
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change the rules regarding health assessment in the process for approving adopters and foster carers, as long as assessments are obtained and considered for the final stage and prior to approval.
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suspend the minimum frequency of Ofsted inspections, recognising that assurance visits will be conducted using a risk-based approach.
Guidance is also provided on carrying out family visits and placing children for foster care or adoption.
It "recognises" the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on care leavers and states: "Local authorities must continue to meet their statutory responsibilities towards care leavers, such as providing personal advisers, or preparing and reviewing pathway plans."
Full guidance for children's social care services can be found here.
Youth work
The National Youth Agency (NYA) as the professional statutory and regulatory body for youth work in England, in consultation with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive, has developed youth sector specific advice and guidance.
Guidance states that the following activities can currently take place if a Covid-secure risk assessment has been carried out:
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Online and digital youth services
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Detached/outdoor local youth services
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1-2-1 sessions with vulnerable young people (indoors)
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Small group work session indoors with vulnerable young people (consistent with social distancing guidelines)
Guidance is likely to be relaxed in line with the NYA's traffic light system as national restrictions are relaxed.
To read the full guidance click here.
Youth Justice
Latest guidance from the Ministry of Justice and Youth Justice Board states that visits for children in the youth custody system will not be suspended during the latest national lockdown.
Last month, the MoJ also highlighted increased access to video calling facilities for young people in the youth custody estate.
Probation and court services are set to remain open during the latest lockdown with those who need to attend services permitted to travel to do so.
Government guidance on the latest restrictions is available here.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Scotland has introduced a phased return to school for pupils with primary years one to three having returned on 22 February.
Very limited numbers of senior school pupils in years four to six who require to complete practical work in order to achieve an SQA certificate also returned on the same date.
Further details for other pupils' return will be announced on 2 March.
For more information on the easing of restrictions in Scotland click here.
The Welsh government is yet to announce steps to ease lockdown however, education minister Kirsty Williams has said it us "her preference" that older pupils return after the Easter holidays, which end on 12 April.
Three-to-seven year olds have already returned to classrooms in Wales in a phased return to face-to-face teaching.
Other primary pupils, and years 11 and 13, are due to return on 15 March if Covid case rates continue to fall.
Northern Ireland's lockdown has been extended until 1 April with just pre-school children and primary schools years one to three set to return on 8 March.
This page was last updated on 25 February and will be updated further to reflect changes to government guidance.
