I’ve been seeing lots of questions about the current education in England guidance,across social media. There are lots of confused and worried parents out there so rather than posting lots of individual comments, I’ve provided them here in one place for you.

All these answers have been taken from the government guidance on the return for schools and information on attendance.

When does my young person return to school?

Children of key workers and vulnerable children can still return to school next week. 

• Year 11 and 13 return to school on 11th January
• Years 7-10 and 12 return to school on 18th January
• Primary schools except for those below are open from next week as normal.
• Primary schools in the following areas will remain closed:

London: (note: at 8pm on 1 January the BBC are reporting that all primary schools in London will remain closed) Barking and Dagenham; Barnet; Bexley; Brent; Bromley; Croydon; Ealing; Enfield; Hammersmith and Fulham; Havering; Hillingdon; Hounslow; Kensington and Chelsea; Merton; Newham; Redbridge; Richmond-Upon-Thames; Southwark; Sutton; Tower Hamlets; Waltham Forest; Wandsworth and Westminster.

Essex: Brentwood; Epping Forest; Castle Point; Basildon; Rochford; Harlow; Chelmsford; Braintree; Maldon; Southend on Sea and Thurrock.

Kent: Dartford; Gravesham; Sevenoaks; Medway; Ashford; Maidstone; Tonbridge and Malling; Tunbridge Wells and Swale.

East Sussex: Hastings and Rother.

Buckinghamshire: Milton Keynes.

Hertfordshire: Watford, Broxbourne, Hertsmere and Three Rivers.

My young person attends a specialist school, what about them?

Alternative Provision is still open from the 4 January. Special schools and colleges are being allowed flexibility on face-to-face attendance, in the first week of term so that they can set up the testing programme.

Is my young person classed as vulnerable?

This is up to the school or local authority to decide but the guidance gives the following information:

• children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could therefore benefit from continued full-time attendance, this might include:
  • children and young people on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services or in the process of being referred to children’s services
  • adopted children or children on a special guardianship order
  • those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’)
  • those living in temporary accommodation
  • those who are young carers
  • those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example, due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study)
  • care leavers
  • other children and young people at the provider and local authority’s discretion including pupils who need to attend to receive support or manage risks to their mental health

From the 4 January does the school have to provide online learning whilst my young person is not in school?

For the week commencing 4 January schools have been asked to prioritse exam years for remote learning, then to provide remote learning as their resources permit. Therefore if your young person is not in an exam year, it will be up to the school to provide what they can that week.

For the week commencing 11 January when years 11 and 13 have returned to school, schools should be providing remote learning.

What happens about attendance marks whilst my young person is not attending school

Schools and the government use codes for attendance marks in different circumstances. For the pandemic, the government introduced the code ‘X’ for Covid-19 related absence. There are guidelines as to what circumstances code X is used, and for all young people not attending school because of these closures.

I’m Clinically Extremely Vulnerable. What happens if I refuse to send my young person to school?

The attendance guidance for code X (see above) states that:

children still on the shielding list (or family members still on the shielding list) from that area, and that area only, may be contacted by the government and advised to stay at home and shield during the period where rates remain high.

However the current tier 4 guidance (the only tier where shielding is in place) states that children of parents who are shielding should attend school.  So i will separate this into two:

The young person is CEV

If your young person has received a recent shielding letter, as your area went into tier 4 then you need to show the letter to the school as evidence of this. This will be recorded as code X (see above), and the school should provide remote education. 

A family member who they live with is CEV

I would suggest that you discuss this with the school, show them the shielding letter (as above). According to current guidance the young person should be attending school, so if you feel you have good reason to not send them in, write these down and discuss them with the school, you can quote the guidance for code X mentioned above. It might be that you can come to an arrangement that reduces risk further, a separate risk assessment for your young person or the school may agree to remote education. Generally schools wish to keep their attendance rates high, and so discuss with them if they will use code X in this circumstance.

The attendance guidance states that if they are meant to attend school then the school is able to issue sanctions including fixed penalty notices, in line with the guidance given to them by their local authority. Check your local authority’s website for what their policy is for more guidance on this. 

If you find that the school is not helpful and you are adamant that your young person is at risk then you have the option to take your young person off role. You have the right to educate them at home, but there may no longer be a place at school if you decide for them to return. If you can afford to then you can enrol them in an online home education program, or get the appropriate textbooks and teach them yourself.

Does my young person have to be tested at school?

No. The guidance says that they should be encouraged to be tested but it is not compulsory. Schools cannot stop a young person from attending school if they do not have a test.

How often will schools do testing?

Testing will happen as young people return to school (or just before), and then the guidance states that staff should be tested weekly, and students tested when they have been in contact with someone who tests positive. This is so that bubbles no longer need to be sent home for self-isolation. Some schools may decide to test more regularly or in other situations.

If you have a question not answered here or further questions then you can  come and join our FREE facebook group Education Support 4 Parents and ask it there. If you want more detailed help with the education of your young person then you can book a 1:1 call with Liz.