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8th June 2020

Extra mental health support for pupils and teachers

Yesterday the government announced that new online resources designed by health and education experts will be provided to schools and colleges to boost mental health support for staff and pupils, encouraging them to talk more confidently about the anxieties and concerns they feel as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The full press release can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-mental-health-support-for-pupils-and-teachers

Guidance on funding initial teacher training (ITT) course extensions

On 7 April 2020, the Government announced arrangements for the recommendation of qualified teacher status (QTS) for trainee teachers whose courses have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. These arrangements set out that trainees making adequate progress towards the teachers’ standards and who continue to participate in their initial teacher training (ITT) course should be recommended for QTS at its conclusion. This will enable them to enter the workforce as newly qualified teachers in autumn 2020.

A small minority of trainee teachers will not have been making adequate progress. Schools and initial teacher training (ITT) providers should take steps to enable these trainees to continue their training in autumn term 2020, with courses to conclude, in most cases, by December 2020. Course extension funding is available to support these trainees, their ITT provider and employing schools (for employment-based routes).

The guidance on eligibility for course extension funding and how to apply can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-itt-coronavirus-covid-19-course-extensions-2019-to-2020

We have also updated guidance on ITT to confirm arrangements for trainees not recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS) in the 2019-20 academic year.

The guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-initial-teacher-training-itt

Updated guidance on actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

We have added a clarification on the requirement for providers to carry the appropriate insurance (for example, public liability insurance) to cover all premises from which they provide childcare or childminding.

The guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures