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29th June 2020

Prime Minister announces school rebuilding programme

The Prime Minister has set out a transformative ten-year rebuilding programme for schools across England.

The rebuilding programme will start in 2020-21 with the first 50 projects, supported by over £1 billion in funding. Further details of the new, multi-wave ten-year construction programme will be set out at the next Spending Review.

Investment will be targeted at school buildings in the worst condition across England – including substantial investment in the North and the Midlands – as part of the Prime Minister’s plan to level up opportunity for all.

The full press release can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-announces-transformative-school-rebuilding-programme

Updated guidance on reducing data collection requirements for early years, children’s social care, schools and further education providers

In April 2020, to help reduce the burden on early years, children’s social care, schools and further education providers, the Department for Education and its agencies cancelled or paused all but the most essential data collections, services and requests until June 2020.

We published the list on 20 April and promised to review those collections that were paused and extend the pause period if necessary.

A review of the list has now taken place, and some collections are due to restart while the pause period for those collections which remain paused has been extended to 30 September.

The full list of data collections, services and requests that will continue, restart, be cancelled, paused or deferred can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-reducing-burdens-on-educational-and-care-settings/reducing-burdens-on-educational-and-care-settings

Guidance for managing playgrounds and outdoor gyms

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for owners and operators of playgrounds and outdoor gyms, including school governing bodies and academy trusts, to enable their use from 4 July 2020 while minimising the transmission risk of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The managing playgrounds and outdoor gyms guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-managing-playgrounds-and-outdoor-gyms