Department for Education coronavirus helpline
From Friday 1 April 2022, the DfE COVID-19 helpline will become the DfE incident support helpline and will continue to be available to answer questions relating to COVID-19.
Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)
If you work in a school, please have your unique reference number (URN or UKPRN) available when calling the helpline.
Core guidance
Guidance specific to education and childcare that settings should refer to after 1 April 2022 includes:
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) health protection in education and childcare settings
- DfE emergency planning and response
- DfE good estate management for schools
- guidance for people with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19, or a positive test result for COVID-19
- living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19
- ventilation of indoor spaces to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections
- COVID-19 guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
- Actions for early years and childcare providers during the COVID-19 outbreak
- Guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) contingency framework for education and childcare settings
- Action list for schools and an action list for early years and childcare providers must follow in the event that a child or young person displays symptoms or if they confirm they have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Use of free early education entitlements funding during COVID-19
- Guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable
- Safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care
- Conducting a SEND risk assessment during the coronavirus outbreak
- Early Years ITT requirements and supporting advice
- Guidance on protective measures for providers of community activities, holiday or after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school settings offering provision to children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
Wales
The Welsh Government has published a series of guidance for schools and childcare settings.
- Education and childcare: coronavirus
- Guidance for childcare and playwork: coronavirus
- COVID-19 workforce risk assessment tool: guidance
- Childcare, playwork and organised activities action cards: coronavirus
- Childcare and play: frequently asked questions
Scotland
The Scottish government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): early learning and childcare services has been updated (6 January 2022) to include:
- A revised approach to self-isolation for high risk contacts from 6 January 2022 taking account of the latest advice and progress with the booster programme;
- The addition of a new section on vaccination;
- Update to the self-isolation exemption for public services as this only applies to those people who were isolating before 6 January 2022, given the changes to the self-isolation policy;
- The section on testing has been revised to reflect the latest advice; and
- An addition to the section on cleaning practices covering sand.
Education Scotland’s Covid Education Recovery guidance includes updated guidance including self-isolation and testing FAQs.
Northern Ireland
Latest updates
Covid updates: symptom list, PPE and guidance on respiratory infections
Updated NHS COVID-19 symptoms lists The NHS COVID-19 symptoms in adults and symptoms in children have been updated. Adults and children who have symptoms of
Updated Covid guidance for Scotland
The revised Covid school guidance and Early Learning and Childcare provider notice documents have been updated and added to the National Improvement Hub (1 and
Changes to COVID-19 guidance in England from Friday 1 April
DfE have put out the following update for education and childcare settings: On Tuesday 29 March, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,
Update to the guidance for childminders where someone in their household has Covid
From Thursday 17 March, if someone in a childminder’s household has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, childminders can continue to operate at home. Childminders
Covid testing of staff in EY settings
The Government announced on 21 February that staff and students/children in all mainstream education settings (including PVI and maintained nurseries) are no longer advised to
Removal of testing and isolation requirements in England
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 21 February about future Covid-19 regulations, changes affecting the early years include: From Monday 21 February, the Government is
Covid cases no longer need be reported to Ofsted
From today settings are no longer required to notify Ofsted, or the childminder agency with which they are registered, of any COVID-19 cases in the
Updated guidance for providers
The guidance for early years and childcare providers has been updated: This update reflects the announcement on 19 January 2022 on the removal of Plan
COVID-19: changes to the self-isolation period
From Monday 17 January in England, the following applies to all positive cases, regardless of vaccination status. People who are self-isolating with COVID-19 have the
Covid: new guidance for childminders
DfE have issued guidance on What childminders should do when someone they live with has COVID-19 symptoms, tested positive, or is self-isolating as a close