Posted on Wednesday 18th March 2020
Schools will close on Friday afternoon to all but vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers.
Schools in Staffordshire will close to most students until further notice on Friday after the Government announced its latest measures to combat the spread of Coronavirus.
In a press conference this evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that all schools across the country will close for an indefinite period of time to all children except the most vulnerable, and those whose parents are ‘key workers.’
Key workers include NHS staff, police and delivery workers.
Exams planned for May and June will also be cancelled. The government is currently exploring whether students may be awarded qualifications without the need for final exams.
County Councillor Philip White, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Learning and Employability, said:
The decision today to close schools to most pupils is in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 even further, and is being made at the time where it will have the most impact.
The decision not to hold exams will also bring a lot of clarity for students, parents and schools who may be concerned about the impact measures would have exam performance, but clearly students in particular will be worried about the impact this will have on their ability to progress to further study or employment. As soon as there is further news on this we will ensure that all students get the information they need without delay.”
I want to take this opportunity to thank our teachers, other school staff and governors for the exemplary role they have played and will continue to play in delivering a high quality education and keeping our children safe in these most difficult of circumstances. We will be working through what this announcement means for schools in the coming days so we can give them clear advice.”