Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance

    Advice for schools and childcare settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, including operating guidance, emergency contacts and plans for reopening.

    September opening

    Guidance for schools planning a full reopening in September:

    Previously issued guidance (for use to end of summer term)

    School operating guidance

    Guidance for schools and early years providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak:

    Attendance

    Schools should resume taking an attendance register. Schools should use the codes suggested on this page to record attendance and absence in the attendance register. All settings should submit daily attendance figures using the educational setting status form by midday everyday.

    Recording attendance in the school attendance register during the coronavirus outbreak (GOV.UK 28 May)

    Read the school attendance services revised offer to primary and high school schools during coronavirus.

    Bereavement

    In these difficult times schools may find themselves unfortunately dealing with the death of a member of staff either as a result of the coronavirus pandemic or other reasons. Read about what you should do when an employee dies and use our letter template to correspond with the next of kin in these circumstances.

    Buildings

    Responsible Bodies and schools should note that it remains their responsibility to ensure that school buildings remain safe, healthy and well-maintained environments for staff and pupils during this period. To assist you in maintaining a safe environment read about Good estate management for schools (DfE)

    Guidance on managing school premises, which are partially open, during the coronavirus outbreak (GOV.UK - 24 April)

    Air conditioning and ventilation during the coronavirus (HSE)

    Cleaning

    Schools should follow government advice on cleaning and waste disposal in non-healthcare settings. Cleaning of non-healthcare settings guidance. The same cleaning advice is reiterated in the Full guidance to educational settings about COVID-19 Cleaning an area with normal household detergent and disinfectant (at a dilution of 1,000 parts per million available chlorine) after someone with suspected coronavirus (COVID-19) has left, will reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people.

    General cleaning and disinfecting of touched objects and surfaces is advised more often than usual using your standard cleaning products.

    There is no need for anything above and beyond this approach to cleaning environment. In most cases, closure of the educational setting will not be needed, but this will be a local decision based on various factors such as establishment size and risk of further spread.

    Directors' communications and news

    Early years providers

    Financial support for education, early years and children's social care

    DfE guidance on furloughing staff now takes into account the sums you receive from government free entitlement payments and other sources of income you receive, including parental fees. Refer to the coronavirus job retention scheme guidance sheet (pdf) for further information. The income percentage calculator (xlsx) can help you work out the percentage you can claim through the coronavirus job retention scheme.

    Provider portal funding

    Guidance for early years settings adding claims to the provider portal (pdf)

    Business support for childcare providers May 2020 with audio (pptx)

    Educational psychology

    COVID-19 related critical incident support in schools: Ealing educational psychology service April 2020 (pdf)

    Advice for schools: Transition and back to school during COVID 19 May 2020 This guide outlines the psychological approaches and key principles that can be flexibly applied by schools to their own timescales and the measures governing their returns. It provides advice on how schools can support all their children and young people in managing this transition.

    The educational psychology service will continue to deliver a service to schools while adhering to current government advice to maintain ‘social distancing’. Read more about educational psychology support (updated 30 April).

    A publication from the British psychological service on Teacher resilience during Coronavirus school closures

    Emergency contacts

    We are doing all we can to support schools in managing new expectations. If you or your school need urgent support, please use the emergency contacts list. For all other support requests, please contact Julie Lewis jlewis@ealing.gov.uk or Gary Redhead gredhead@ealing.gov.uk

    Family information service (FIS) details for critical workers

    Emergency plan checklist

    Ealing COVID-19 outbreak prevention and control plan (Ealing Council)

    Download our example COVID-19 emergency plan checklist (DOCX)

    Finance

    Food banks and distribution

    Food poverty - One off emergency food deliveries for families without access to food or food banks via Ealing Together (news item 15 May).

    Ealing Families Directory provides full details of local food banks and distribution services. To recommend other services please contact Jasmine Bellal by email bellalj@ealing.gov.uk, or telephone 020 8825 5605.

    Free school meals

    Coronavirus (COVID-19): free school meals guidance (GOV.UK)

    Read more about free school meals summer fund (news item updated 9 July)

    Headteachers should decide which of the available options will be best for families in their area. Schools can provide food on site, arrange deliveries or purchase a voucher to be given to the family. If you have any further questions please contact the pupil support service at pupilsupport@ealing.gov.uk, 0208 825 5566.

    Free school meals eligibility for families with no recourse to public funds (news item 23 April)

    COVID-19: Free school meals national voucher scheme (news item 31 March).

    Government guidance and advice

    Collection of government guidance and advice for educational settings (includes cancellation of exams).

    Guidance: implementing social distancing in education and childcare settings

    Guidance about changes to newly qualified teacher (NQT) induction

    Department for Education coronavirus helpline

    Telephone 0800 046 8687 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, weekends 10am to 4pm).

    Home learning

    For pupils

    ELP home learning recommendations and support (PDF) - includes videos and other resources.

    Educational resources for schools and parents to help children to learn at home, from DfE (GOV.UK)

    Support pack for parents and pupils of English as an additional language (PDF)

    For staff

    Courses and other online learning for staff.

    Home working guidance

    DSE workstation checklist (word)

    Working at home safely (pdf)

    CIEHF Home working and staying healthy (pdf)

    Advice from Posturite

    Newly qualified teachers (NQT)

    Induction for newly qualified teachers during the Covid-19 outbreak.

    Parents and key workers

    School and childcare arrangements information for critical workers and vulnerable children.

    Ealing Families Directory provides a range of useful advice and resources for parents. To recommend other resources please email bellalj@ealing.gov.uk.

    Personal protective equipment (PPE)

    PPE supplies - Letter from Gary Redhead 1 June (pdf)

    When should face coverings be used in schools? (pdf)

    When should PPE be used? (pdf)

    How can PPE be used safely? (pdf)

    Further information can be found in Implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings guidance (GOV.UK)

    List of PPE suppliers including protective wear, social distancing signs, non-contact forehead thermometers.

    PPE supplies available to schools and educational settings via Amazon (news item 1 June)

    Refuse and recycling collections

    Collections of recycling and food will now be collected on request only, food waste will continue to be removed weekly. D10 cleaning supplies urgently needed to keep vehicles sanitised.

    Read more about Waste collection changes and request for supplies COVID-19 .

    Safeguarding

    DSL guidance for pupils returnng to primary school (pdf)

    DSL guidance for pupils returnng to high school (pdf)

    COVID-19 safeguarding toolkit for school DSLs (Word) Updated 22 May
    This is an updated resource to guide and support your DSL role in carrying out safeguarding duties both for children in school and those who are learning at home. It also provides contact details for professional support service.

    Private fostering during COVID-19 (pdf)

    Online safety advice for parents (news item updated 14 May)

    2020 Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) consultation suspended due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) (GOV.UK)

    Coronavirus (COVID-19): safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers (GOV.UK).

    School governance

    In line with the current COVID-19 government advice there should be no face to face governing board (GB) meetings until further notice.

    Read the latest Ealing Governance update number 16 (10 July 2020) (pdf)
    Sample agenda for full GB meeting during lockdown

    DfE school governance: COVID-19 update 4 June (GOV.UK)

    Read our previous Ealing governance news updates during COVID-19. For any further information or advice please email governors@ealing.gov.uk.

    School recovery

    The council has put in place tactical groups (cells) to plan and communicate back to the emergency management response team around work to keep schools open and in relation to both short-term and longer-term school recovery issues arising from COVID 19.

    Staffing

    Advice on staffing schools during the coronavirus pandemic was issued just days after the lockdown began in March. Attendance in Ealing and nationally has been low, while the vast majority of schools have remained open for critical workers, vulnerable children and young people. We have also seen a steady increase in attendance. We are grateful to schools and staff for making this happen.

    We are mindful of the national considerations of a possible return to schools in the coming weeks, including discussions with headteacher and staff trades unions. We expect revised national guidance to be issued shortly and we will update our guidance in the light of these developments. As always the safety and welfare of staff and pupils will be paramount in drafting revised guidance.

    Joint schools guidance on quarantine on entering or returning to the UK and self isolating before hospital admission 19 June (pdf)

    Wellbeing guide for staff working in schools and trusts

    All year round (AYR) support staff leave during the Covid-19 emergency (pdf)

    Letter template - Informal warning for failure to maintain social distancing (doc)

    Teachers and head teachers performance management during restricted opening (pdf)

    Agency/supply staff and casual/AWR staff guidance (pdf)

    Notice periods for teachers and school leaders during Covid-19 pandemic guidance (news item 31 March)

    Staff absences - Coronavirus (news item updated 26 March) Latest government advice on social distancing, particularly those who are at increased risk of severe illness.

    Key roles in schools during the coronavirus pandemic - updated 26 May (pdf)

    The coronavirus job retention scheme is a government scheme under which an employer can furlough its employees if it needs them to stop work by reason of circumstances arising as a consequence of coronavirus. (News item updated 11 May).

    Volunteer database

    The volunteer database which was collated by Schools HR has now been taken down and the records of volunteers have been deleted. Our thanks to all those who volunteered for the database.

    Suppliers

    List of suppliers for cleaning products, protective equipment, non contact thermometres and social distancing signs and more.

    Support for schools

    Local authority and ELP teams will be doing all they can to support schools in managing new expectations. If you or your school need urgent support, please us the emergency contact list. For all other support requests, please contact Julie Lewis jlewis@ealing.gov.uk or Gary Redhead gredhead@ealing.gov.uk.

    Symptoms and testing

    Process flowchart: What to do if there is a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in school (pdf)

    Template letter to parents in case of 'possible' case of COVID-19 in school (word)

    Template letter to parents in case of confirmed case of COVID-19 in school (word)

    Letter to parents about what to do if a child develops symptoms of COVID-19 (News item 9 June)

    Managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in an education setting - 1 June 2020 (pdf)
    Key actions to take if someone in a school or education setting develops symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19.

    Guidance for anyone who thinks they may have symptoms, please see: Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection For the Department of Health and Social Care, and Public Health England

    Ask for a test to check if you have coronavirus (NHS website): who is eligible and how to get tested.

    Transition

    Transition to high schools

    Transition for early years children

    Transport (SEN)

    Schools should remind parents to contact the Transport Hub regarding any children not attending school so we can notify providers accordingly. Similarly, parents need to inform the Hub when their child is due to return to school. Schools are keeping in regular contact with the hub, and providing information of those who are and are not expected to attend. Routes may be adapted to meet changing need.

    Travel

    Supporting social distancing for the school journey (pdf)
    Suggestions from Ealing school travel team for schools and parents.

    TfL travel advice for headteachers May 2020 (pdf)

    TfL travel advice for parents, children and carers May 2020 (pdf)

    TfL travel guidance (pdf)

    Coronavirus - Check the latest travel information (TfL website)

    Vulnerable groups

    COVID-19 Vulnerable groups report 1 (pdf) How Ealing schools are working to try to overcome the challenges facing vulnerable groups of pupils during the C19 pandemic.

    Flyer to reassure and encourage parents to allow their child to attend school where appropriate (news item 15 June)

    Where schools have concerns including not have a designated safeguarding lead (DSL) they should contact ECIRS. Emergency contact list

    Keeping in touch guidance for DSLs (word)
    Please use this guidance to support members of staff keeping in touch by phone with parents of vulnerable children.

    Guidance: keeping in touch calls for children with an EHCP (word)
    To support members of staff keeping in touch by phone with parents of children with EHC plans.

    Support to improve attendance of the most vulnerable children during COVID-19 (news item 22 May)
    There are two new resources to guide and support your school's response if you have low attendance of vulnerable pupils.

    Children and young people, social care

    Wellbeing and mental health

    Staff wellbeing - Support options available for employees during COVID-19 (pdf)

    Wellbeing and mental health support for you, your colleagues and your family.

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    Last updated: 16 Jul 2020

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