Letter to Secretary of State regarding early years

Please find at this link a letter that has been sent to the Secretary of State for Education from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Ian Ward, regarding COVID safety in early years settings

DfE Educational settings status form

From today, Monday 11 January, the DfE is asking schools and colleges to resume completing a revised educational setting status form by 2pm each day.

Following the announcement of the national lockdown, the Department has made changes to the educational setting status form to reflect the position on attendance of pupils and students due to the lockdown. The information schools provide through the form continues to support the government’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Your data will help to build a national picture of educational provision, including attendance of vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers in school or college. This will enable the Department to focus support more effectively, help inform the government’s response and ensure children and young people are safe.

Schools are asked to provide information on:

• the number of pupils or students and workforce on site
• the number of pupils or students with a social worker or an education, health and care plan; children of critical workers; and eligible for free school meals
• the provision for free school meals for pupils or students on site and those learning remotely
• pupil or student absences due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
• workforce absences

Further guidance on completing the educational setting status form, and the full list of questions for schools and colleges, can be found in the guidance on recording attendance during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

If your school or college is closed for any reason other than a planned holiday (eg on public health advice due to coronavirus, for non-coronavirus reasons or a planned teacher training inset day), please continue to complete the form. If you have any questions that are not answered by the guidance, please call the Department for Education’s coronavirus (COVID-19) helpline on 0800 046 8687.