Dear Colleagues,

We've been working closely with our colleagues at ISC and other associations to seek clarity from the DfE following its announcement yesterday regarding school arrangements for January in England.

We're grateful to the ISC for producing the update below which we'd like to share with you for information. The guidance and much of the comment in the ISC communication also applies to members of the State Boarding Forum (SBF). All BSA member schools should take particular note of the following paragraph in the guidance which allows international boarders to return to school, but to be educated online within the boarding house. These restrictions are removed from Monday 11 January, so schools with start dates on or after that date will not be affected, but will need to make appropriate testing arrangements when school reopens:

Residential providers and boarding schools

Boarding schools with secondary-age pupils are similarly encouraged to provide for a staggered start back to on-site provision to allow for testing.

However, in some cases, the children will already have returned to their boarding houses before the start of term, in particular where they have been returning from overseas. Where the children are already in their boarding houses, the school should provide remote education to them in their boarding houses, as if they were still at home, while arranging for testing.

BSA would also advise Prep School Heads to check the guidance carefully, as arrangements have an impact on Years 7 and 8 in such schools.

Best wishes, 

Robin Fletcher
Chief Executive, BSA and BSA Group

Coronavirus (COVID-19) - school arrangements for January

The ISC is working closely with all of its member associations and the Boarding Schools' Association (BSA) to provide schools with advice and guidance in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19). However, please note that neither the ISC nor the other associations referenced are medical, statutory or legal authorities and advice must be read in that context.

Dear colleagues,

You will no doubt be feeling frustration and even anger at the timing of the DfE's announcement yesterday over school arrangements for January, which we outline below.

Along with your member associations, I would like to reassure you that the ISC is seeking urgent clarification over the expectations of independent schools in relation to this new guidance. We appreciate school leaders still have many questions - and are exhausted after an immensely challenging year - and will keep you updated as soon as we know more.

Kind regards,

Julie Robinson, ISC chief executive

Further announcements on term dates and COVID testing in January

The DfE has made a further announcement on the return to school in January. Minsters have said the measures are aimed at ‘clamping down’ on COVID-19 following the Christmas break. The Government has published guidance and the measures on term dates and COVID testing (outlined below) do apply to independent schools. The focus is schools with secondary age pupils, meaning they also cover the secondary year groups (Year 7 and above) in middle schools/prep schools.

Term dates - DfE guidance for schools in England

Primary schools are asked to resume on-site provision as planned from their advertised first day of term, while schools with secondary-age pupils are asked to make the following arrangements:

• Full-time on-site provision from the first day of term for all vulnerable children, the children of critical workers and pupils in exam year groups (primarily years 11 and 13)
• As many secondary-age pupils and staff as possible being offered two lateral flow device tests, starting in the week commencing 4 January, prioritising staff, vulnerable children, the children of critical workers and pupils in years 11 and 13
• Remote education being provided for all other pupils when they are at home, and in line with local tier restrictions
• All pupils back in school for face-to-face education on 11 January.

The ISC has been in contact with the DfE on the definition of exam year groups. It is understood that the reference to ‘primarily’ years 11 and 13 means other year groups sitting exams – for example Year 8s sitting school entrance exams – can return in the first week of January.

This is guidance only and we do not know at this point what stance the Government will take if schools do not comply.

COVID testing

Building on the announcement earlier this week of a wider testing programme, schools with secondary age groups will be offered the opportunity to test staff and pupils in the first week of January. The Government is encouraging schools to take up the tests but the guidance makes clear it is "optional", adding: "Pupils will not need to have had a test in order to return to school on 11 January." Participation is voluntary for the programme and active consent is required either by staff, pupils or parents/legal guardians, as appropriate.

Testing will employ the quicker turnaround lateral flow tests. Schools and colleges will be able to establish testing to offer students two rapid tests three days apart, with positive results confirmed by a lab-based PCR test. Schools will need to make arrangements to administer the tests - potentially involving staff, governors and volunteers. Independent schools will receive the tests but will not be eligible to receive the financial support being given to maintained schools to cover staffing costs; we are appealing this decision.

Further details can be found here:

• DfE guidance
• Detailed slide pack from NHS Test and Trace.

ISC coronavirus FAQs

There is a coronavirus FAQs page for schools on the Member Zone of the ISC website (login required), which is updated regularly.