If school staff have concerns about what is expected of them the first course of action is to speak to their line manager or headteacher and ascertain what is expected of them before taking the necessary steps to work out how that might be achieved.
Where possible, the Department encourage childcare providers, schools and colleges to continue to look after critical workers’ childcare and vulnerable children throughout the Easter holidays.
Connection and talking to one another during these times is vitally important for our well-being. It can feel lonely working from home and you might feel disconnected from your colleagues and school communities. That is why we are launching online webinars from next week for teachers, school staff and anyone interested in education.
The DfE advises against governing bodies meeting in person, and to instead adopt alternative arrangements, for example, by using video or teleconferencing applications. These may include but are not limited to: Skype, Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
The Department for Education (DfE) has produced guidance on how to implement social distancing in schools. Ensure class sizes reflect the numbers of teaching staff available and are kept as small as possible.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed that trainee teachers who miss out on their full complement of school training hours because of school closures will still qualify as teachers. Mr Williamson said he would be prepared to waive normal requirements to gain QTS for trainees.
Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home.
The Department explains that support available for supply teachers and other temporary workers will depend on their employment status and individual circumstances.
The Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance for schools about closing temporarily. It includes a range of FAQs which outline details on staffing and opening hours for schools. We expect more detailed guidance to be published soon and will update this article accordingly.
The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed it will use teacher assessments to provide calculated grades for pupils this year. The aim is to provide grades to students before the end of July. They will be “indistinguishable from those provided in other years”, and pupils will have a chance to resit an exam if they don’t think the grade is fair.
