Education is said to be “critical to our national recovery,” so all pupils must return to school in September.
The layout of classrooms has changed.
1.6 million children have already returned to secondary school, in a phased return.
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, has said that there will be mandatory levels of attendance when pupils go back, in an attempt to make sure pupils don’t fall further behind. Children will be back to full time in September, after they were stopped from going to school in March, unless they were the children of key workers.
Mr Williamson told MPs he wanted to make sure “all children who can be at school are at school”.
He also said that school curriculums will be as standard, and will not be made easier, despite a break from the classroom.
In terms of social distancing, schools should “continue minimising contact between children” – particularly older pupils, Mr Williamson said.
“At a minimum this will mean keeping whole year groups in schools and colleges separate.”
Mr Williamson vowed that all the subject will be taught in a “full, broad and balanced” way.
“And that includes the arts and humanities. It includes sports.
“It includes so much because we recognise that to give children the best opportunities to succeed in life they have to have that breadth of curriculum and we should not be seen to be dumbing down or reducing it,” Mr Williams said.
Starting from January next year, OFSTED and other school inspections are set to begin again.
