Coronavirus: Schools scramble to prepare for national shutdown

HEADTEACHERS have been racing to react to the government order for all schools to close at the end of lessons tomorrow (Friday) to try to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Several schools in the New Forest and Christchurch have already been operating partial closures this week before education secretary Gavin Williamson made the full announcement in the House of Commons last night.

He also said exams this academic year – including GCSEs and A-levels – have been cancelled, but promised to “ensure children get the qualifications they need”.

To support children eligible for free school meals, schools will be funded by the Department for Education to purchase meals or vouchers for supermarkets or local shops, he said.

Nurseries, private schools and sixth forms have been included in the national shutdown. Schools will only remain open to look after vulnerable children and those of key workers including NHS staff, police and supermarket delivery drivers.

Special schools and residential settings will need to continue to look after their pupils, Mr Williamson added.

Little operational detail has been provided by the government and senior teachers across the New Forest and Christchurch have been drawing up plans to prepare. Some schools said they were sending out surveys to establish how many youngsters might be coming in next week.

In a message to parents, Ringwood School head Leanne Symonds said it already had 20 staff self-isolating, with Year 9s staying at home today and Years 8s tomorrow.

Giving a hint of the difficulties faced by teachers, she said: “Schools have yet to be provided with a definitive list of ‘key workers’. We are hoping to receive this imminently.”

She urged Year 11 students: “We would encourage students to keep working, accepting that feeling motivated might be a challenge, in case exams do still happen before the end of the school year.”

Noadswood in Dibden Purlieu has also been surveying parents’ occupations to inform planning, with 600 responding within three hours.

It said: “This is such a fast-developing situation... that requires Noadswood and other local schools to think fast about the logistics for looking after keyworker children and vulnerable children in our community.”

Arnewood School in New Milton said it would be sending updates to parents today or tomorrow.

Hounsdown and Testwood schools in Totton said they would publish details of their responses later, and urged parents to resist calling for information, so they could get on with planning.

Highcliffe School is closed to Years 9, 10 12 and 13 today (Thursday) but said online that it understood “in the circumstances” that parents may decide to keep their children at home.

It added: “We are confident the government, in consultation with schools during the coming weeks, will establish a robust and fair means of evaluating the academic achievement which students would have shown through their exams in the summer.”

The Department for Education has launched a helpline for anyone with education-related questions, ranging from early years to universities, and including parents.

The 0800 046 8687 number is open 8am-6pm Monday-Friday and 10am-4pm at the weekend.