Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance

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

Updates and letters

8 March return to school communication from Julie Lewis

National lockdown: Stay at Home (GOV.UK)
Asymptomatic testing
Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings (GOV.UK)
Remote education
Schools and childcare settings: return in January 2021 (GOV.UK)
Update on school laptops and tablets allocations (GOV.UK)

---

Government guidance

Department for Education (DfE) guidance for full schools opening (GOV.UK)

DfE helpline: 0800 046 8687 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, weekends 10am to 4pm)

---

School operating guidance

Guidance for schools and early years providers during the pandemic.

• Asymptomatic testing in schools
• Attendance
• Bereavement
• Early years providers
• Educational psychology
• Emergency contacts
• Facilities, buildings and cleaning
• Financial support
• Free school meals
• Home working
• Planning and risk assessment
• Protective measures and equipment
• Remote education
• Safeguarding
• School governance
• SEND
• Staffing
• Symptoms and testing
• Vulnerable groups
• Wellbeing and mental health

Asymptomatic testing

Asymptomatic testing in schools update (news item updated 8 February)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) staff testing in primary schools (pdf)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) asymptomatic testing in schools and colleges (GOV.UK)

Government lateral flow testing document package (Google Drive)

Virtual training for asymptomatic lateral flow testing in schools (news item 12 January)

Offer of short-term military support for schools Covid-19 testing (news item12 January)

Lateral flow testing risk assessment template (doc)

Waste collectionsfrom lateral flow device test

If your school needs assistance securing testing waste collection services, please contact Laurence Field at FieldL@ealing.gov.uk

Test site job profiles

• Test site team leader job description (doc)
• Test site operative - processing operative rand results recorder job description (doc)
• Test site operative job description (doc)

Attendance

Read the attendance guidance for schools.

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

Guidance for off rolling for children gone abroad

Bereavement

During the pandemic, schools may have to deal with the death of a member of staff as a result of the coronavirus or for 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.

Early years providers

• Early years Q & A January 2021 (pdf)
• Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• Managing the return to early years settings
• Managing cases of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in early years settings
• COVID-19 Risk assessment for schools and childcare settings

Educational psychology

Recovery, Re-introduction and Renewal: Safe and Successful Returns to School (a handbook by the Association of Educational Psychologists)

Educational psychology service delivery We have moved primarily to remote working with limited face to face visits. Face to face visits will be undertaken only where essential and necessary information cannot be gained by other means. Such visits will be risk assessed and completed in agreement with senior EPS managers. This amended model of service delivery is largely consistent with that provided by EP Services across London and surrounding regions.

Please be assured that the EPS will continue to deliver a service to schools and that allocated time will be delivered unless agreed otherwise. We can offer a broad range of assessments, including some cognitive and SEMH assessments in addition to parent and teacher consultations remotely. This will ensure that children will continue to have their needs assessed.

If you have any concerns please contact your link Educational Psychologist in the first instance or email Judith Chambers-Thomas, Principal Educational Psychologist EPAdmin@ealing.gov.uk

Advice for schools: Transition and back to school during COVID 19

Emergency contacts and support

Local authority and Ealing Learning Partnership teams will do all they can to support schools. For urgent support, please refer to the emergency contact list. For other support requests, please contact Julie Lewis or Gary Redhead.

There are tactical groups in place to plan and communicate back to the emergency management response team to keep schools open and in relation to short and long term school recovery issues arising from COVID-19.

Facilities, buildings and cleaning

Emerging from lockdown (CIBSE)

Utility checks and cleaning services
Fire and gas safety, water checks and companies who can provide cleaning services for schools.

Ventilation planning strategy

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.

Financial support

• Second window now open for schools and academies to claim for extra funding during the coronavirus (GOV.UK)
• New funding to support schools and colleges during Covid pandemic (DfE press release 27 November)
• Self-isolation payments (Ealing Council)
• School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period from March to July 2020 (GOV.UK)
• Funding support for schools - guidance from DfE (GOV.UK)
• Closing of accounts and new year budget setting during COVID-19 (PDF)

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). The income percentage calculator (xlsx) can help you work out the percentage you can claim through the coronavirus job retention scheme.

Free school meals

Coronavirus (COVID-19): free school meals guidance (GOV.UK) - Latest update includes information on the support available to schools during the national lockdown beginning January 2021.

Free school meals during lockdown beginning January 2021 (news item 11 January)

Government has advised that they expect catering providers to support pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals who have to be at home for reasons relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) by providing food parcels. There is no requirement to provide universal infant free school meals to infant pupils who are not in school.

Read more about free schools meals for pupils at home due to coronavirus related reasons (news 16 September).

Home learning

For pupils

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

Supporting your children's education during coronavirus (COVID-19) - Information, guidance and support for parents and carers of children who are learning at home. GOV.UK

Home learning 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)

Protect home workers (DSE) - Includes video on how to set up a workstation for temporary home working

Microsoft Teams quick start guide (pdf)
Communicating via Teams (pdf)

CIEHF Home working and staying healthy (pdf)

Advice from Posturite

Planning and risk assessment

• Risk assessment tool (choice of formats):
  • Risk assessment tool (doc)
  • Risk assessment tool (excel)
• Individual risk assessment and support plan template (doc)
• Addressing individual staff concerns
• Arrangements for the provision of children’s services from September
• Health improvement recovery curriculum
• Guidance for professionals working with parents to support children’s return to school (ppt)
• Supporting your child's return to school booklet (Ealing Familes directory)
• Coronavirus planning framework (doc)
• Schools partial opening checklist (doc)
• List of suppliers for cleaning products, protective equipment, non contact thermometers, social distancing signs and more.
• Ealing COVID-19 outbreak prevention and control plan (Ealing Council)

Protective measures and equipment

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

Examples of protective measures (pdf)

Safeguarding

DSL guidance for primary school pupils(pdf) (EGfL login required)

DSL guidance for high school pupils (pdf) (EGfL login required)

COVID-19 safeguarding toolkit for school DSLs (doc) Updated February 2021 (EGfL login required)
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).

School governance

Our advice is that whilst social distancing rules remain, boards should continue to adopt alternative arrangements for holding meetings.

Read the latest Ealing Governance update (21 January 2021)

Ealing sample agenda for full GB meeting during lockdown (doc) (11 January)

Wellbeing and workload guidance for governing boards December 2020 (EGfL login required)

DfE school governance COVID-19 update December 2020 (GOV.UK)

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

Staffing

Coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) /furlough scheme

• CJRS /furlough letter to schools January 2021 (pdf)
• Letter template confirming agreement to temporary furlough (word)
• Letter template confirming agreement to flexible furlough (word)
• Letter template confirming extension to temporary or flexible furlough (word)
• Furlough claim template (excel)
• How to complete furlough claim form (pdf)

Extension of furlough scheme (news item 9 November)

Staffing guidance for 8 March 2021 (pdf)

Revised joint guidance on the conduct of schools on professional matters in light of the covid-19 pandemic (NAHT)

Addressing individual staff concerns

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 31 March)

Staff absences - Coronavirus (news 26 March) - 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 updated 11 May).

Symptoms and testing

Lateral flow testing risk assessment template (doc)

COVID-19 NHS National testing programme (pdf)

What to do if there is a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19

• Flowchart on what to do if there is a suspected or confirmed case (pdf)

COVID-19 confirmed case notification template (doc)
COVID-19 confirmed case notification with calculator (Excel)

NHS COVID-19 app: Q&A's provided by the DfE (pdf)

PHE London Coronavirus Response Cell (LCRC) schools resource pack (pdf)

LCRC schools resource pack documents:

• On-site risk assesment checklist (doc)
• Inform and advise parent letter (doc)
• Letter for parents of contacts (doc)
• Template letter for contacting the LCRC (doc)

Parents' flowchart: What to do if someone has COVID-19 symptoms (pdf)
Available to download in these languages: Arabic, Polish, Punjabi, Somali, Tamil, and Urdu

How schools can inform close contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 case
Includes template letter to parents of confirmed case of COVID-19

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

COVID-19 testing: Employer referral portal (news item 12 November)

Coronavirus (COVID-19): test kits for schools and FE providers (GOV.UK)

Guidance for anyone who thinks they may have symptoms, please see: Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection

Ask for a test to check if you have coronavirus (NHS)

Vulnerable groups

How schools are working to overcome the challenges facing vulnerable groups of pupils during the pandemic:

• COVID-19 Vulnerable groups report 1 (pdf)
• COVID-19 Vulnerable groups report 2 (pdf) August 2020

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 your school's response if you have low attendance of vulnerable pupils:

• Ealing Safeguarding process to help increase attendance of vulnerable children during COVID-19
• Ealing Safeguarding guidance – Frequently asked questions COVID-19

Children and young people, social care

• Virtual child protection conference guidance effective 6 May 2020 - Social workers and child protection advisors (pdf)

• Virtual child protection conference guidance effective 6 May 2020 -Partner agencies (pdf)

• COVID-19 practice guidance (pdf)

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.