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The latest preventative COVID recommendations for schools and colleges

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On Tuesday the 22nd of February, the UK Prime Minister announced that the remaining COVID rules would be dropped in England. But what does this mean for England’s school and colleges? Here’s what we know along with the latest recommendations.

An end to mandatory isolation

It is no longer a legal requirement to self-isolate after receiving a positive COVID test. This means students and teachers are allowed to attend school and college if they have COVID. However, the advice from Public Health England remains that anyone who receives a positive COVID result should self-isolate.

An end to mandatory testing

Students and teachers are no longer required to do a lateral flow tests twice a week. However, regular testing is still advised for SEND settings, alternative provision and SEND units in mainstream schools or the equivalent in colleges.

If staff or students wish to continue with weekly testing (although not recommended) they can still access them online here or through their local pharmacy if they wish.

Recommendations

COVID-19 will remain part of our lives for the foreseeable, and so we need to continue to reduce the spread of the virus in our schools and colleges as much as possible whilst still getting on with our lives. There are 3 main ways we can do this:

Ventilation

Good ventilation in classrooms in one of the best way to prevent the spread of COVID. Simply opening the windows will help with this. The UK government has provided over 360,000 carbon dioxide monitors to all state funded education settings including early years, and further education providers. The monitors help staff to identify areas where ventilation needs to be improved and to help get a good level of ventilation whilst keeping the classroom warm.

Hand hygiene

All through the pandemic we’ve been encouraged to regularly wash our hands with soap and water and this advice remains the same. Hand hygiene is a simple and easy way to slow the spread of germs.

Vaccination

Vaccines remain the best protection against the virus and everyone who is eligible for the vaccine (age 12 and over) is encouraged to get fully vaccinated.

You can view the UK government’s update on COVID restrictions for England and the implications for your school or college here.

 
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Four ways to leave work at work

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It's so important when you have a demanding job like being a teacher, that you find some time to switch off from work. Not only is it important for you to have a life outside of work, it’s essential for your mental health to destress in order to avoid burnout. So, here are 4 simple ways to switch off from work.

Thinking about a change of career – what about teaching?

Are you an expert in your industry? Maybe you work in construction or as an electrician but you’re now looking for a change and a new challenge – why not consider teaching students in your profession? According to research from the Department for Education, 45% of people interested in teacher training are ‘career changers’; people who have been working in a different industry but want to switch to teaching.

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Supporting your team of teachers

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Supporting your team of teachers

As a leader, you need to support each member of your team because they are part of your learning community, and everyone in that community matters. Of course, the support you give will depend on the situation and the individual themselves, but the number one objective is to get the best out of your team of teachers.

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SEND-friendly classrooms

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SEND-friendly classrooms

SEND-friendly classrooms

As a SEND teacher you’ll want to ensure that your students with special educational needs and disabilities are comfortable learning in your classroom. If you’re currently developing your SEND-friendly classroom, here’s some suggestions which may help as a starting point.

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How to write a perfect lesson plan

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How to write a perfect lesson plan

Preparing a lesson plan is one of the most essential skills a teacher needs to have to be effective in the classroom. It can be challenging, especially in the early days of your career as there are a few components that you need to focus on and incorporate into it, such as learning objectives, learning activities and assessments for student understanding.

What to do if you don’t get the results you need

What to do if you don’t get the results you need

Exam results days for 2021 are almost upon us. For some this will be a moment of celebration, whilst for those whose results are less than expected the day could feel like a crushing disappointment. However, for the students who didn’t get the grades they were predicted or wanted, there’s still a wealth of options open to them.