Department of Education Advice
The page provides detail from the Department for Education (DfE) publications that relate to Covid-19 and the emergency powers that the government has set out.
The government has set out a Bill that includes provision that would enable The Secretary of State to disapply or modify for a specified period various sections of the Children and Families Act 2014 including those relating to the duty to secure special educational provision and health care provision in accordance with an EHC Plan (s 42), the duty to admit (s. 43) and reviews and re-assessments (s. 44).
SEND specific public information and documents, such as newsflashes sent from the DfE can be found on the South East Sector Led Website.
Key Workers, Vulnerable Children and Schools
Announcements have been made concerning school closures for everyone except children of key workers and vulnerable children, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The government has now published questions and answers about these changes.
Isolation for Children and Young People in Residential Educational Settings
The government has also published guidance on isolation and COVID-19, including boarding schools, residential special schools and specialist colleges and children’s homes.
We understand that these are uncertain times and that you will have a lot of questions and concerns. We encourage you to keep up-to-date by regularly checking the gov.uk webpages; this is where reliable updates and guidance will be published. If you need any further advice, you can speak to an adviser on the DfE Coronavirus helpline - 0800 046 8687 this helpline is open 8am - 6pm Monday – Friday, and 10am - 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Other key announcements and useful updates from the Department of Education
The other most recent updates on the school closures announcements are: