Joint Union Planning Guide for Schools

18/05/2020

Attached is a new Planning Guide for schools produced by UNISON, NEU, GMB and Unite. This is a commentary on recent Department for Education guidance and a checklist for branches and members to use to ask questions of employers, who are following government guidance and proposing to prematurely significantly increase the number of pupils going to primary schools from June 1^st.

The new DfE guidance the planning guide refers to are linked below:

 1. DfE planning guide for primary schools on wider opening:    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools

 Note the DfE have said that 1^st June is an ‘aspiration and that the guidance is ‘non-statutory’ so there is no requirement for schools to follow it, they can use elements of it or produce their own individual plan.

 2. DFE guide: Safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safe-working-in-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care

This guidance is focused on preventing and controlling infection, including the use of PPE, in education, childcare and children’s social care settings during the coronavirus outbreak.

 The DfE  have also recently updated the following guidance:

•  Children of critical workers are encouraged to attend schools or educational settings and further information defining vulnerable children, in line with existing guidance, for the purpose of continued education https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision

 

• Further information for FE colleges and providers to plan for wider opening, including what to consider and steps to take when planning increased attendance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision