Where to find the latest information
Department for Education coronavirus helpline
The Department for Education coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents and young people can contact this helpline as follows:
Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday
Latest Department for Education information:
· https://twitter.com/educationgovuk
· https://www.facebook.com/educationgovuk/
Government advice is reviewed daily and updated regularly. For the latest information, advice and guidance, check out https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-the-public.
|
Testing now available to anyone with symptoms of coronavirusThe government has announced that anyone with symptoms of coronavirus is now eligible to book a test, ahead of the rollout of the test and trace service. Anyone experiencing a new, continuous cough; high temperature; or a loss of, or change, in their normal sense of smell or taste (anosmia) can book a test. A coronavirus test can be booked here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ Essential workers in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, can apply for priority testing through GOV.UK. A coronavirus test can be booked here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-essential-workers
Secretary of State for Education’s statement on coronavirusSecretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, spoke at the daily press conference on Saturday about the Government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and plans for schools safely opening to more pupils. The transcript of the speech can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretarys-statement-on-coronavirus-covid-19-16-may
The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategyThe government has published its roadmap for how and when the UK will adjust its response to the coronavirus outbreak. This document describes the progress the UK has made to date in tackling the coronavirus outbreak and sets out the plans for moving to the next phase of its response to the virus.
Frequently asked questions on what you can and can’t do during the coronavirus outbreak have also been published. Those relating to schools and childcare can be found at section 6:
Guidance for parents and carers as schools and other education settingsin England open to more children and young peopleWe have published guidance for parents and carers on the opening of schools and other education settings to more children. This guidance provides information on when and how we will open education settings to more children.
|
Public Health England has published guidance for households with grandparents, parents and children living together where someone is at risk or has symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.
The guidance can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing eligibility extended to help protect the most vulnerable
The government has announced that anyone in England showing symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) who has to leave the home to go to work, or is aged 65 and over, is eligible for testing along with members of their households with symptoms. This is in addition to all essential workers with symptoms. Testing can be booked through a new online system.
Guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, including who is eligible for a test, how to get tested and the different types of test available can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested
It is important parents continue to have the right to appeal any school admission decisions. To enable this, we have made regulatory changes that came into force on 24 April 2020 and will remain in place until 31 January 2021. The new regulations give admission authorities the flexibility to manage appeals whilst ensuring families are supported and not disadvantaged by current measures to protect public health.
The guidance can be found here:
Guidance for parents and carers on supporting their children’s education during coronavirus (COVID-19)
We have published information, guidance and support for parents and carers of children who are learning at home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Guidance on helping children aged 2 to 4 learn at home can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-children-aged-2-to-4-to-learn-at-home-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Guidance on helping primary school aged children learn at home can be found here:
Guidance on helping children with special educational needs and disabilities learn at home can be found here:
The Department for Education coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents and young people can contact this helpline as follows:
Phone: 0800 046 8687
Opening hours:
8am to 6pm – Monday to Friday
10am to 4pm – Saturday and Sunday
If you work in a school, please have your unique reference number (URN or UK PRN) available when calling the hotline.
The most important thing individuals can do to protect themselves is to wash their hands more often. Soap and water and regular handwashing for at least 20 seconds is the best way of staying safe. Hand washing with soap employs mechanical action that loosens bacteria and viruses from the skin, rinsing them into the drain. Drying hands afterwards makes the skin less hospitable to the virus. Hand sanitiser can be effective if soap is not available or the situation makes using soap less feasible (i.e. when outside) but using hand sanitiser provides none of the virus-destroying friction that rubbing your hands together and rinsing with water provides.
A video on hand washing can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQCP7waTRWU&feature=youtu.be
The e-Bug project is led by Public Health England and has a dedicated webpage for learning resources on hand washing and respiratory hygiene.
Resources are currently available for KS1, KS2 and KS3 and can be used in various settings including schools and at home:
All of the Department for Education’s coronavirus guidance for educational settings can now be found in one place on GOV.UK at:
Our main guidance for schools, the ‘school closures guidance’, will be regularly kept up to date. Any new advice for schools on specific issues, such as food, exams or safeguarding, will be linked from it:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-school-closures