Last week, (17th Aug), the UK government launched their Back to Schools Safely campaign to reassure parents, students and teachers that schools and colleges are going to be ready for the back to school return in September. The guidance in this campaign is endorsed by Public Health England to reduce the risk of transmission of Coronavirus. These measures include staggered break times, increased hygiene and handwashing as well as children remaining in consistent groups, or bubbles, to minimise risk.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson stated 'As the start of term approaches, now is the time for families to think about the practicalities of returning to school in September, whether that’s reassuring themselves that school is the best place for their child to be, or planning the school run to avoid public transport where possible.'
The campaign follows an increased budget allocation to public transport in order to allocate alternative school transport and into bus and light rail operators to keep services running despite reduced capacity. The government has also released a guide to cycling and walking to encourage this as an option for those who can. Read this here: https://bit.ly/3l5C5hg
Parents can access an advisory page on the government page in which there is updated information and guidance regarding traveling to and from nursery, childminders, school and college, assessment and exams, school admissions and more. This can be found here: https://bit.ly/3j2lB82
Furthermore, Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said: “Education is essential for a child’s development so it is crucial we get children safely back to school in September. A number of important risk reduction measures have been put in place to help students and teachers return to school with confidence.”
Read more about the campaign here: https://bit.ly/3j2m22a