As the country moves to Step 4 of the Roadmap, the government will continue to manage the risk of serious illness from the spread of the virus. This marks a new phase in the government’s response to the pandemic, moving away from stringent restrictions on everyone’s day-to-day lives, towards advising people on how to protect themselves and others, alongside targeted interventions to reduce risk.

As COVID-19 becomes a virus that we learn to live with, there is now an imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education - particularly given that the direct clinical risks to children are extremely low, and every adult has been offered a first vaccine and the opportunity for two doses by mid-September

The key messages from this guidance are:

• nationally, education and childcare settings are open, and attendance is mandatory (for schools) and strongly encouraged (at childminders, nurseries and colleges

• the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has made it clear that the overwhelming majority of children and young people still have no symptoms or very mild illness only

• over the summer, staff, secondary pupils and college students should continue to test regularly if they are attending settings that remain open
• there is no need for primary age pupils (those in year 6 and below) to test over the summer period
• secondary schools and colleges have been asked to prepare for on-site testing at the beginning of the autumn term
• from Step 4 your nursery, school or college will no longer trace close contacts - close contacts will still be identified via NHS Test and Trace
• from Step 4, your child does not need to remain in a consistent group (‘bubble’)
• from Step 4, face coverings will no longer be advised for pupils, staff and visitors either in classrooms or in communal areas

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