Providing remote education: guidance for schools

Non-statutory guidance  has just been issued on providing high quality remote education in cases where it is not possible for some or all pupils to attend school.

This guidance is for school leaders, school staff, trust leaders and trust boards and governing bodies in schools in England and notes the circumstances where it might not be possible for pupils to receive in person education, these fit into two broad categories:

• School closures or restrictions on attendance, where school access for pupils is restricted
• Individual cases where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able to learn.

Schools are likely to have established remote education plans in place already that have worked well for them when attendance in school has not been possible. If schools choose to use established remote education plans, these should be kept up to date so that they remain relevant to the school’s current context. A good remote education plan should be kept under review in consultation with staff and should demonstrate a consideration of any additional burdens that providing remote education may place on staff and families.

Work provided during periods of remote education should aim to be high quality, meaningful, ambitious and cover an appropriate range of subjects to enable pupils to keep on track with their education.