Schools Shut Down Amid Coronavirus Crisis
Schools will remain closed indefinitely from Friday afternoon, except for children of key workers and vulnerable pupils. This move is part of the UK’s fight against the coronavirus. Key workers include NHS staff, police officers, and supermarket delivery drivers—crucial roles keeping the country running.
Who Can Still Attend?
- Children of Key Workers: Those whose parents work in essential services.
- Vulnerable Children: Kids with social workers or those with Education, Health, and Care Plans, detailing special educational needs.
Children outside these groups must stay home with proper care. If schools cannot look after eligible children, local councils will team up with the Department for Education to arrange alternatives nearby. Nurseries, private schools, and sixth forms must follow the same rules.
No Exams, No Inspections: Education on Pause
To ease pressure on schools, Ofsted inspections will stop immediately. Primary and secondary exams scheduled for this summer are cancelled. Performance tables won’t be published. The government will work with exam boards to ensure kids still get the qualifications they need.
Special schools and residential settings will continue to care for their pupils.
Support for Families and Schools
Schools can now provide meals or supermarket vouchers to children eligible for free school meals. The government promises vouchers will cover more than the usual meal cost, acknowledging higher shopping expenses for families.
Vouchers can be ordered directly from local shops or supermarkets and sent electronically or by post, fully funded by the Department for Education. Guidance for schools is coming soon.
Nurseries get a boost too—a full business rates holiday for 2020-21 to lessen financial strain. Local authorities will be reimbursed for this cost, applied via the Barnett formula in England.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Fighting coronavirus and protecting the vulnerable and our NHS are the Government’s top priorities right now. By asking schools to support key workers and vulnerable children, I am confident we will help beat this virus.”
Universities are also taking steps to protect staff and students, with the government backing vice-chancellors’ decisions.
This sweeping action signals a serious step in slowing COVID-19 spread and protecting essential workers and vulnerable young Brits.
