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Completing the DfE Educational setting status form

We have published a report for SIMS that once setup will produce the majority of the figures currently required by DfE. This can be found here.

We have had a number of calls at the service desk relating to coding Covid related absences

What is the current guidance?

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 4 January 2021, only children of critical workers and vulnerable children and young people should attend school or college. All other pupils and students will receive remote education. The full guidance can be found here

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

The government guidance on how to record a Covid related absence

Updated on the 7th January 2021. The detailed guidance can be found here. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance/addendum-recording-attendance-in-relation-to-coronavirus-covid-19-during-the-2020-to-2021-academic-year

If a child falls into the category of ‘critical workers and vulnerable children’ who should attend school or college then their attendance should be recorded in the normal way. If the parents decide to keep the child at home they should be recorded with a Code ‘C’. Leave of absence authorised by the school

Pupils not attending a session who meet the criteria for ‘not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19)’ should be recorded using code X. Code ‘X’ is not counted as an absence in the school census. Schools should continue to use code X for non-compulsory school aged pupils who are not expected to attend a session, as they did before the outbreak.

Examples of ‘not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19)’ are

  • Pupils who are required to self-isolate as they, or a member of their household, has symptoms or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • Pupils who are required to self-isolate because they are a close contact of someone who has symptoms or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • Pupils who are required by legislation to self-isolate as part of a period of quarantine
  • Pupils who are clinically extremely vulnerable in a future local lockdown scenario only

Remote education

If a pupil is not attending school due to circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19), we expect schools to be able to immediately offer them access to remote education. Schools should keep a record of, and monitor engagement with this activity, but this does not need to be tracked in the attendance register. We understand this to mean students not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19) should be coded ‘X’ even if they are engaged with remote learning. Schools should set up another method of monitoring these students engagement

Last academic year a number of schools were using 7,8,9 codes for Covid absence and we are aware of a number of schools that have continued to do this. If you have done this you should replace the 7, 8, 9 codes with X for this academic year.