Pupils urged to go back to Sheffield schools safely in September

The Government has announced that there will be a return to face-to-face learning in schools and education settings from next month.

School attendance is mandatory for all pupils of compulsory school age and it is a priority to ensure that as many children as possible regularly attend school. This is especially important as many pupils have lost valuable learning over the last 18 months.

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health in Sheffield, said “From September, education and childcare settings will all largely be back to normal, and I know many children will be looking forward to returning to the classroom.

"I would encourage all children and young people to take every opportunity to attend their school, college or nursery this year. It’s especially important now, given the interruption and lost learning pupils have faced during the pandemic.

“However, Covid-19 has not gone away, and we will continue to see cases. We know that coronavirus transmission rates in schools are roughly equal to or less than those of the surrounding community. There remains risk everywhere, every day in all that we do, but lost education causes a significant impact on pupils’ health and wellbeing and their life chances, so we must balance this.

“I have worked with schools, childcare and further education settings during the pandemic and know how hard they have been working to reduce transmission whilst continuing to deliver education and childcare of a high standard. I know they’ll continue to do all they can to provide a safe environment for your child.

“A huge part of reducing the risk in education settings is testing and continuing to follow the rules. Upon returning, please ensure that secondary age children take two lateral flow device (LFD) tests at school or college three to five days apart and continue to test twice a week at home.

"If your child has Covid-19 symptoms, they must stay at home. They must not go to school, and they should go for a PCR test and isolate. Good hand washing also remains important to stop the spread of transmission, so ensure your child regularly washes their hands."