From 1 June 2020, schools and early years providers were encouraged to open to more pupils:
- early years providers to welcome back children of all ages
- primary schools in England to welcome back children in key transition years – nursery, reception, year 1 and year 6.
Schools will also continue to offer places to children:
- who are vulnerable or
- of critical workers
From 15 June 2020, secondary schools, sixth form and colleges could begin to offer some face-to-face support for:
- pupils in year 10 and year 12
- 16 to 19 learners in the first year of a 2-year study programme.
Colleges, schools and early years providers will continue to offer places to vulnerable children and young people and children of critical workers.
On 18 June 2020 the DFE announced more flexibility for primary schools to welcome back additional children this term if they have the capacity to do so
Your school will contact you if it is able to welcome back additional children. It will be up to individual schools to decide which children to invite back.
If you have a child in nursery, reception, year 1 or year 6 and have not yet taken up on the offer of a place for your child, your school may be in touch to ask if you intend to send your child back this term. If you do not, the school may choose to offer this capacity to another pupil.
Department for Education Coronavirus helpline
There is a helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:
Telephone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)
Please note: that the Free School Meal (FSM) delivery service to the addresses of eligible children due to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) ended on 3 April 2020.
During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, schools will continue to support children who are eligible for free school meals (based on DfE conditions) and are currently at home. The DfE are providing these families with a national voucher scheme that can be used at several supermarkets. Please contact your school, in the first instance, to arrange the issue of these vouchers for your family.
Due to Coronavirus and school closures, the school admissions process may be disrupted. Should this happen we will be in touch with anyone affected by this directly.
- View more information on secondary school admissions and appeals
- View more information on starting school admissions and appeals
Returning back to school