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Revealed: Areas Where Primary Schools Could Stay Shut In January

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has U-turned on schools as the Covid pandemic surges.
Rachel Wearmouth
By 

Political correspondent, HuffPost UK

Education secretary Gavin Williamson arrives at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London
Education secretary Gavin Williamson arrives at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London
PA

The list of high infection areas in England where primary schools may be forced to stay shut on January 4 has been published.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed on Wednesday there would be sweeping changes to the reopening of schools amid a surge in the Covid-19 pandemic.

The opening of secondary schools has been delayed, with pupils in exam years now returning on January 11, and others due to return on January 18.

By contrast, the government was keen to keep primary schools open – but has been forced to order some to stay shut on January 4 in areas where the infection rate is particularly high.

The move does not affect vulnerable children or the children of key workers, who will still receive face-to-face learning.

Official figures showed the UK had recorded 50,023 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday.

And a further 981 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, the Department for Health and Social Care also confirmed.

The list of areas where primary schools will be “subject to the contingency framework” is below.

The government’s website says that “where the contingency framework is implemented, primary schools should continue allowing all children to attend” but that “in the very unlikely event that evidence supports limiting attendance in primary schools, may advise that only vulnerable children and children of critical workers should be allowed to attend”.

The government has yet to clarify whether all primary schools will be shut in these areas – and, if not, when it will be decided which schools should shut and how parents will be told.

London

    • Barking and Dagenham

    • Barnet

    • Bexley

    • Brent

    • Bromley

    • Croydon

    • Ealing

    • Enfield

    • Hammersmith and Fulham

    • Havering

    • Hillingdon

    • Hounslow

    • Kensington and Chelsea

    • Merton

    • Newham

    • Richmond-Upon-Thames

    • Southwark

    • Sutton

    • Tower Hamlets

    • Redbridge*

    • Waltham Forest

    • Wandsworth

    • Westminster

Essex

    • Brentwood

    • Epping Forest

    • Castle Point

    • Basildon

    • Rochford

    • Harlow

    • Chelmsford

    • Braintree

    • Maldon

    • Southend on Sea

    • Thurrock

Kent

    • Dartford

    • Gravesham

    • Sevenoaks

    • Medway

    • Ashford

    • Maidstone

    • Tonbridge and Malling

    • Tunbridge Wells

    • Swale

East Sussex

    • Hastings

    • Rother

Buckinghamshire

    • Milton Keynes

Hertfordshire

    • Watford

    • Broxbourne

    • Hertsmere

    • Three Rivers

* Redbridge was originally left off the list in error.

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