Secondary school children on the Isle of Wight will not return to school until 18th January, switching to remote learning for the next few weeks, the Government has announced.
The delayed return to education will apply to colleges as well as all secondary schools, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has confirmed. However, schools will remain open for vulnerable children and children of key workers
Those preparing for exams in 2021 will return a few days earlier during the week commencing 11th January.
Primary School children will return as normal on Monday (4th January). Where rates are the highest, vulnerable children and children of key workers will be the only ones to return to face-to-face learning and a full list of areas affected will be provided in due course.
Universities are being asked to reduce the number of students returning to campuses next month.
The news comes just hours after confirmation the Isle of Wight will enter Tier 4 from 00:01 on New Year’s Eve (tomorrow).
Earlier today it was announced that the Oxford University-developed COVID-19 vaccine has been given the green light for use in the UK, with the new vaccine to be rolled out from Monday morning.
Too little too late! Delaying secondary schools 2 weeks and leaving primary schools open will not slow numbers down enough. More primary schools on the Island have had to close because of Covid than secondary schools. National lockdown/circuit breaker needed. The vaccine is just round the corner. Make all kids retake the year. Any schooling they’ve had this year will be an extra, rather than them having to play catch-up. Teaching/school staff on front line with no PPE or able to social distance is unfair. Even being 2m away with an airborne virus floating around in a classroom with more than 30 people in is inadequate. As for kids testing themselves??
what about the isle of wight college