In this short report we suggest five steps that we believe must be taken to allow schools to open safely in September.
These are:
- reducing the level of virus circulating in the community to reduce the chance of schools triggering a super spreader event;
- making sure we recognise quickly if such an event might or has occurred by spotting infections within schools rapidly and responding;
- provide detailed guidance to schools and communities on how to reduce chances of transmission within schools which – crucially – depend on the type of school and the level of local infections;
- make sure that tackling inequality and ensuring an excellent education for children in our most deprived communities is front and centre of planning;
- co-creating detailed plans with local communities and schools and ensuring communication is clear and trustworthy.
