Coronavirus: National lockdown

Stay home. Only go out for food, medical reasons, exercise, education or work. Avoid travel unless essential. You must work from home if you can. Schools and essential shops will remain open.

Coronavirus: Information and advice

Coronavirus: Schools, education and childcare

1. School and College attendance

Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school if required.

This includes parents who may be working from home.

However government guidance does state that parents and carers who are critical workers should keep their children at home if they can:

School Leaders are best placed to make decisions about safe capacity levels in schools, because they have the required information about demand, space and supervision.

In cases where demand cannot be met, the advice is that vulnerable children, children of front-line health and care workers and of those involved in COVID response are prioritised.

Such decisions should be made in consultation with Governors/Trustees and in reference to the guidance issued by Department for Education.

If parents have issues in securing appropriate provision, we encourage them to contact their Headteacher in the first instance.

If they do not reach a resolution this way, then the school complaints procedure on the school website offers a route to redress.

Free school meals

Children Attending School

Schools should provide meal options for all pupils who are in school, including vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. Meals should be available free of charge to:

  • All infant pupils
  • Pupils who meet the benefits-related free school meals eligibility criteria

Children Not Attending School

During the national lockdown schools should continue to support children eligible for benefits-related free school meals who are at home during term time.

The steps schools should take to provide meals includes:

  • providing food parcels through a food provider
  • providing vouchers for a local shop or supermarket (£15 per pupil per week)
  • using the Department for Education’s national voucher scheme

Apply

Child care 

Early year providers are still open, if you require childcare during lockdown check our list of childcare providers: