PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Education: Coronavirus (17 July 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has established a second wave nurseries, schools and universities plan to prepare for a potential second wave of covid-19 (a) infections and (b) lockdowns.

Asked by:
Fleur Anderson (Labour)

The Government has developed plans for the next academic year to ensure that children and young people can return to nurseries, schools, further and higher education. We have put inplace a system of controls that will reduce the risk of transmission for students and staff, as well as contingencies in the case of local lockdowns to ensure there is a high-quality remote education alternative.

We continue to work closely with the education sector to prepare for the autumn term.

Links to the relevant guidance are provided below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/what-fe-colleges-and-providers-will-need-to-do-from-the-start-of-the-2020-autumn-term;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses.

We will keep guidance under review and adjust and adapt our approach as necessary.

Answered by:
Nick Gibb (Conservative)
24 July 2020