Weir publishes guidance on new school day

Education Minister Peter Weir has today published new guidance setting out how schools should plan for the new school day.

The guidance is part of an overall Restart Programme and has been co designed by the Department of Education, school leaders and key partners. It has been supported through consultation with managing authorities, trade unions and sectoral support bodies.

Welcoming the publication of the guidance Peter Weir said: “My ambition has always been, and remains, for the full-time resumption of classroom-based learning for all pupils as soon as it is safely possible to do so.  I fully appreciate the stresses felt by all our teachers, parents and pupils during this time of disruption and uncertainty regarding the future.

“Although our overall approach to managing the Covid-19 virus must rightly remain cautious, today is a positive step forward in providing a road map to plan for the reopening of schools in two months’ time."

Following confirmation by the Executive that schools will reopen for staff from 17 August and for priority groups of pupils from 24 August, the Minister said: “This guidance in many ways reinforces practices we have all become accustomed to.  It promotes regular hygiene practices on arrival at schools and throughout the school day and the application of the “catch it, bin it, kill it” principles.

“It builds on the Executive’s agreement of 18 June 2020, that the current social distancing guidance of two metres must continue to be followed between all adults and older year groups within the education sector, but that looking to a start-date of 24 August, a distance of one metre is an appropriate planning assumption between children and young people.” 

Outlining the model of the use of ‘protective bubbles’ the Minister continued: “In circumstances where social distancing cannot reasonably be applied, the use of ‘protective bubbles’ as an additional mitigating measure must be followed. This has been applied successfully by other countries in their arrangements for reopening of schools.

"The guidance also promotes a flexible approach to use of existing spaces as a means of maximising face-to-face teaching opportunities and provides the framework within which workforce planning can now be developed.”

The Minister concluded: “Today is an important starting point in the journey to reopening schools and reflects our current circumstances. We will continue to be guided by medical and scientific developments between now and 24 August.”

Notes to editors: 

1.The New School Day Guidance can be accessed here. https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/northern-ireland-re-opening-school-guidance-new-school-day   

2.The Department’s Education Restart Programme identifies five priority work-streams to deliver reopening of schools. Priority 5 – New School Day – focuses on the development of guidance to inform “day-one” operations.

3. A Practitioner Group, facilitated by the Department and informed by two sub-groups, one representing pre-school and primary interests and one for post-primary was established to develop the framework guidance and has been meeting twice-weekly since the beginning of June.  The group comprises of 20 principals (pre-school /primary and post primary with special schools represented on both).  The principals were nominated by managing authorities/sectoral support bodies to ensure they are reflective of all phases and sectors. Further co-design on boarding school guidance took place with all boarding school principals

4. The guidance was endorsed by the Northern Ireland Executive at meeting on 18 June.

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6. Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office at Press.Office@education-ni.gov.uk. 

7. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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