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,

Please find below an update from the ISC following the recent announcement of the national lockdown in England. This email alert details the information we have as of 6pm on Wednesday, 6 January. More detailed guidance for schools has yet to be published by the DfE but the ISC will send a further update when it is available.

Gavin Williamson’s statement to Parliament today is available here; there is also a DfE press release and an 'Education in the media' blog.

Kind regards,

Julie Robinson, ISC chief executive

Arrangements for schools during the national lockdown

The Government has confirmed that during the national lockdown in England, primary (reception onwards) and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. Note - children with at least one parent or carer who is listed as a critical worker are eligible for a school place. It is not necessary for both parents to be critical workers.

All other children will learn remotely, with the measures in place until February half term.

Early years settings remain open.

Exams

School admission tests
The DfE has confirmed the following to the ISC:

Tests can continue to operate for in-year admissions to selective schools. Wherever possible, such tests should be delivered remotely. If for some reason this is not possible, admission authorities should follow the protective health measures set out within the guidance on assessment processes for selective school admissions and the actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak. Wherever possible, the use of public transport should be avoided.

Vocational qualifications
Assessments in some vocational qualifications can still take place in January, where schools and colleges judge it right to do so. The DfE is working with Ofqual on arrangements for those who do not take their January assessments, as well as for vocational and technical assessments scheduled for February onwards.

Summer exams
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said in his statement: "I can confirm that GCSEs and A and AS-level exams will not go ahead this summer." He added: "This year, we are going to put our trust in teachers rather than algorithms." While the Government will work with Ofqual, exam boards and teaching organisations on the details, the secretary of state stated: "I wish to use a form of teacher-assessed grades, with training and support provided to ensure these are awarded fairly and consistently." A consultation will be launched next week and will conclude "swiftly".

A statement from Simon Lebus, the interim chief regulator of Ofqual, can be read here.

IGCSEs
Both Pearson and Cambridge Assessment have published statements on IGCSE arrangements this summer, following the cancellation of GCSEs and A-levels in England. 

Primary school tests
Statutory key stage 1 and key stage 2 tests and teacher assessments planned for summer 2021, including the key stage 2 tests in reading and mathematics, will not take place.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing

It is appreciated that schools will have spent time over the Christmas holidays preparing for the roll-out of mass COVID testing in the first week of term. The Government still sees testing as central to plans for the safe return of schools. The DfE press release states: "The rapid testing programme for secondary schools and colleges will continue for those on-site, with daily testing of close contacts available to students and staff and weekly testing available for staff. Primary staff will be included later in January as planned, and more detail will be set out in due course about reaching all secondary students as they return to face-to-face education."

To support the continued delivery of the testing programme, the DfE has issued the following guidance:

Register a team leader
Team leaders are responsible for the overall on-site operations at the test site. Secondary schools and colleges will need at least one team leader to run a test site. We recommend that each test site has two team leaders as this will ensure that cover is available if someone is ill.

Please complete the registration form to register a team leader. You can only register one team leader at a time using the registration form. To register multiple team leaders, please complete the form as many times as needed.

Team leaders will need to be registered before you can begin testing.

Delivery of lateral flow test kits
All schools with secondary-age pupils, including independent schools, will receive an initial delivery of lateral flow device test kits to support asymptomatic testing from the start of the spring term.

If you have not received your initial delivery or have missing or damaged items, please complete the contact us form. You will need the URN for your school or college to complete this form.
We have uploaded plans for the delivery of test kits to all schools and colleges on to the schools and colleges document sharing platform.

This plan contains details of what will be in each delivery, and when you should expect to receive deliveries from Brakes and Bidfood this week. It is essential that there is someone available who can accept the deliveries when they arrive. Please do not reject any deliveries.

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.