Everything you need to know about schools reopening in Essex

As part of the first step out of lockdown, schools and higher education settings will be reopening to all students having been closed to the majority since January.

There are a number of changes that have been made to secondary schools to ensure there are no outbreaks of coronavirus among staff and students.

So here is everything you need to know about the return to school.

Are all schools reopening tomorrow?

Technically, yes, all schools will be reopening tomorrow but secondaries will only be welcoming back some of their students.

This is because they have been asked to mass test all pupils and will therefore welcome them back in phases.

Each school will have outlined how they plan to run the staggered return to parents ahead of reopening.

Primary schools will meanwhile be open to all pupils tomorrow and will not be running a phased return as there is no requirement for youngsters there to be tested.

Can my child still attend school if they haven’t been tested?

Parents have been strongly urged to get their children tested before they return to the classroom, but will still be able to send them to school if they haven’t done so.

Essex County Council has said: “Testing is voluntary and will not be done unless consent has been given. It is also not a determining factor for whether pupils are able to return.

“However, it is something that is being strongly encourage so that potential transmission of the virus within the school community is reduced.”

How will testing work in secondary schools?

The Government has said secondary schools and colleges should offer three rapid Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) to pupils when return to the classroom.

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This is aimed at identifying positive cases more quickly and stopping outbreaks of Covid-19.

Each individual secondary school or college has been given two options to test pupils and will have informed parents which they have chosen.

The first option is offering all three Covid tests to each student on site.

Alternatively, they will have asked pupils to take the first of these three LFTs in advance of their return to school or college.

If schools have decided to use this option, the second and third tests would then need to be taken on the school site three to five days apart.

If they are taking part in testing, pupils can return to face-to-face education following their first negative test result. Once these three initial tests have been carried out, pupils will be provided with rapid tests to be carried out twice a week at home.

What happens if a student tests positive for coronavirus?

If a pupil tests positive, they will need to self-isolate immediately in line with current Covid-19 guidance and not return to school until this is complete.

The results of all home tests must be reported to NHS Test and Trace as per the instructions in the test kit as soon as the test is completed (results will be given in around 30 minutes).

The results should also be shared with your child’s school or college, whether positive or negative, to support them with contact tracing.

What are the rules for students going back to secondary schools?

The Department for Education is now recommending face coverings are worn by secondary-age pupils in classrooms, only where social distancing cannot be maintained and unless a young person is medically exempt from wearing one.

This rule will be reviewed at Easter.

Secondary and college pupils are already required to wear a face covering when moving around school buildings in corridors and communal areas, as well as when travelling to and from school on public transport.

Once schools return, attendance will be mandatory, with penalty fines levied if children are not back.

Naturally, this will not apply where children are obliged to self-isolate or cannot come into school for other valid reasons.

What’s happening with primary schools?

For primary school-age children, on-site attendance at school on and from tomorrow will be mandatory.

The advice from Public Health England is that there is no requirement for primary age pupils to be tested for Covid-19 before returning.

This is because there are limited public health benefits attached to testing primary pupils in terms of stopping the spread of Covid-19 and younger children are less likely to catch the virus.

Primary school pupils are also not required to wear a face covering at school, however adults may be asked to wear a face covering when entering the school site.