Guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on isolation for residential educational settings

Guidance to support management of children and young people in residential educational settings, including boarding schools, residential special schools and children’s social care.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 21 March 2020
• Last updated: 9 November 2020 — See all updates

This publication was withdrawn on 14 December 2020

Guidance on residentials settings is available in:

• actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak
• actions for FE colleges and providers during the coronavirus outbreak
• guidance for special schools and other specialist settings
• guidance for children’s social care services

If you work in a residential setting, read about safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care.

Applies to England

Documents

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on isolation for residential educational settings

HTML

Details

This guidance is for owners and managers of residential settings to support the management of children and young people living in:

• children’s social care
• residential special schools and colleges
• mainstream boarding schools and further education (FE) colleges
• university halls of residence and houses in multiple occupation

It contains advice on managing isolation for individuals or groups, in the event that a child, young person or staff member either shows symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) or is confirmed as having the disease.

The most important symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of any of the following:

• a new, continuous cough
• a high temperature (37.8 degrees Celsius or above)
• a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)

The government has provided a suite of guidance to support people in making decisions related to coronavirus (COVID-19).

Published 21 March 2020
Last updated 9 November 2020 + show all updates

1. 9 November 2020

   Added a link to the new national restrictions from 5 November guidance.

2. 20 July 2020

   Explained how wearing a face covering may affect communication with people who rely on lip reading, facial expressions and clear sound.

3. 27 May 2020

   We have made new coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance updates to support management of children and young people in residential educational settings, including boarding schools, residential special schools and children’s social care.

4. 8 April 2020

   Updated guidance.

5. 21 March 2020

   First published.