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1186992

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how (a) teachers and (b) other school staff will be deployed between schools due to school closures during the covid-19 outbreak; what powers (i) local authorities and (ii) academy trusts will have during that period; and what steps he is taking to ensure that there is effective co-ordination between those organisations and (A) nurseries and (B) other childcare providers.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	33568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2020 answer text <p>We understand that this is a very difficult time for teachers – we are asking a lot of them and all school staff to help the country fight this virus.</p><p>Once schools have assessed their demand and capacity, they should liaise with their local authority to establish whether any staff need to be moved to an alternative setting. We have set out in guidance (published 22 March 2020) that local authorities will need to work closely with educational settings to ensure sufficient provision is available across the local area. Local authorities and educational settings may need to redeploy staff, such as teachers, support staff or other critical workers. They may need to do this across the usual boundaries of maintained, academy, college or other status to ensure the right staff are in the right settings.</p><p>Parliament has passed the Coronavirus Act 2020, which includes powers to direct schools and other educational settings, including academies and independent schools, to close, open, re-open or remain open. The Act allows my right hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education, to delegate these powers to local authorities. The Act also supports schools to stay open by granting powers to the Secretary of State to relax certain elements of education law which would be impossible to fulfil in the current circumstances.</p><p>Local authorities are also responsible for coordinating the response to these new arrangements and we expect them to work with schools, nurseries, childminders and others to ensure that different settings are supported to stay open wherever possible, taking into account their circumstances and cohort to ensure there is adequate provision.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 31/03/2020 15:45:53 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

1186998

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the required pupil to teacher ratio will be in schools during the period of school closures due to the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	33572
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2020 answer text <p>To help ensure that the risk of COVID-19 spread for both staff and children is as low as possible, we have asked schools to ensure class sizes reflect the numbers of teaching staff available and are kept as small as possible.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 31/03/2020 13:32:05 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

1187000

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, will covid-19 testing be available for school staff who present with symptoms.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	33574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2020 answer text <p>We are extremely grateful for the work schools, childcare providers and local authorities have been doing since our announcement on the closure of schools and other educational and childcare settings. We are committed to ensuring that school staff are issued with the right guidance and support to keep them safe. We are in regular contact with the teacher and head teacher unions.</p><p>Currently the NHS is rightly prioritising COVID-19 tests for those caring for hospital patients with pneumonia or acute respiratory illness while continuing to investigate outbreaks. Most adults in good health who develop symptoms will fully recover and the Chief Medical Officer has advised that it is not necessary for them to be tested. However, school staff with symptoms of COVID-19 should, just as anyone displaying symptoms, self-isolate for at least seven days to reduce the spread in the community. The Government’s latest stay at home guidance can be found here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection</a>.</p><p>On 18 March, the Government made an announcement with regard to increasing the number of people tested for COVID-19 to 25,000 hospital patients a day, which is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/testing-for-coronavirus-covid-19-will-increase-to-25-000-a-day" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/testing-for-coronavirus-covid-19-will-increase-to-25-000-a-day</a>.</p><p>On 27 March, the Government launched a new drive on coronavirus tests for frontline NHS staff and more information is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-new-drive-on-coronavirus-tests-for-frontline-nhs-staff" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-new-drive-on-coronavirus-tests-for-frontline-nhs-staff</a>.</p><p>Our health service and care staff are key in our fight against the virus. Frontline NHS staff who have symptoms of coronavirus or who have a family member with symptoms will be the first tested for coronavirus as the testing programme is developed. More on this developing programme can be found here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-new-drive-on-coronavirus-tests-for-frontline-nhs-staff" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-new-drive-on-coronavirus-tests-for-frontline-nhs-staff</a>.</p><p>We are working closely with other Government departments to secure tests for other critical workers, including in our education system.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 09/04/2020 13:44:49 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

1183971

registered interest
date	10/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department plans to take to support children eligible for free school meals in the event that schools are closed in response to the covid-19 outbreak, and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	27587
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2020 answer text <p>The advice from Public Health England (PHE) remains that childcare facilities and schools should stay open unless advised otherwise by PHE. However, the department is aware that pupils eligible for free school meals will miss out if their school is closed, or they are asked to self-isolate. We are closely monitoring the situation, and we are working closely with other government departments to consider what action can be taken. We recognise the challenge this could place on families and schools and education providers.</p><p>The department has launched a dedicated telephone and email service to allow quick access to the latest help and support for schools and parents. The purpose of the helpline is to ensure consistent and accurate information reaches education providers and should help ensure providers feel well-supported.</p><p>Details of the helpline:</p><p>Phone: 0800 046 8687 (8am to 6pm - Monday to Friday)</p><p>Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 13/03/2020 14:16:05 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner