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<p>The Department has provided guidance explaining that the children of any parent
who works in a critical sector or are critical to the COVID-19 response will be prioritised
for education provision regardless of the year group they are in:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision</a></p><p>It
makes clear that, now that we have made progress in reducing the transmission of COVID-19,
we are encouraging all eligible children to attend school (where there are no shielding
concerns for the child or their household), even if parents are able to keep their
children at home.</p><p>The Department has also published guidance for schools to
prepare for wider opening of schools:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june</a></p><p>The
planning guide for primary schools explains that if schools cannot reach an arrangement
that enables all eligible children to attend consistently, schools should focus first
on continuing to provide places for priority groups of all year groups (children of
critical workers and vulnerable children).</p><p>The advice to secondary schools on
preparing for wider opening from the 15 June states that children of critical workers
and vulnerable children in all year groups should be encouraged to attend school full-time.</p>
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