From: Education Restart Programme
To: All Schools,
Date: 20 January 2021
Dear Colleague
Reminder – Requirement for key workers and vulnerable children to be given access to schools and supervised learning in mainstream schools.
This is to remind all mainstream schools that they are expected to remain open during the current phase of restrictions, but this is exclusively for the purpose of accommodating supervised learning for children of key workers and vulnerable children.
Schools should not be open for other purposes nor for children who do not fall within the definition of vulnerable, or children of key workers.
Special Schools remain open.
The Education Minister issued the Educational Continuity Direction to give legal effect to the operational arrangements in the education system from 7 January 2021 (Educational Continuity Direction). This sets out the legal direction for schools being open.
The definition of Vulnerable Children as set out in the cross-departmental Vulnerable Children and Young People's Plan 2020 can be found here.
The definition of a key worker can be found here.
Regards
Education Restart Programme Office
