In Dorset primary age pupils will return to school in the week commencing 4 January. However, following a Government announcement on Wednesday (30/12) most secondary age students in Dorset will have a staggered start to term. See the official government guidance.
Schools with secondary age pupils will remain open, as they have throughout the pandemic, for the children of critical workers and vulnerable children, which includes pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans. Find out more about who is included.
Other secondary students in exam years (Years 11 and 13) will return to school in the week commencing 11 January. All secondary students in other years (Years 7-10 and Year 12) will return in the week commencing 18 January. This timetable applies to all students at secondary, middle and upper schools in Dorset.
Students who are starting face-to-face learning in a staggered way will be expected to learn remotely from the 4 January. Your school will be in contact with more details.
As mentioned above, children who have EHC (Education Health and Care) plans can attend school from the week commencing the 4 January. Special school and learning centres in Dorset will also be open from the week starting 4 January. However, attendance at special schools is not compulsory in the first week of term, although it is encouraged, see the government guidance above.
School Transport
School transport will run as normal from the 4 January.
Exams
Vocational exams such as BTECs will take place as planned in January.
Schools with secondary age students will be preparing to test pupils for Coronavirus from the week starting 11 January, as part of efforts to manage the pandemic. Pupils of primary age will not be tested at this time.
Why aren’t teachers and school staff being vaccinated as utmost priority ?
It’s ridiculous and surely must be contravening health and safety when they are facing more than 30 pupils a day in primary and hundreds in a bubble in secondary all in an enclosed space, then possibly taking the virus home to their families. If a teacher has to self isolate another teacher or TA has to cover and they may not actually take that subject so the child is not learning anything new, and so it goes on until there is no one left to cover and no one to offer remote learning.
Please ensure all school staff, including cleaning staff etc are vaccinated as a high frontline staff priority, before opening schools. There is a real risk of the new variant being spread by children to Staff at all levels. Staff who are vaccinated before going back into schools, will give assurance to Parents for the Schools to be able to educate the children continuously without risk.