Sheffield schools prepare for enforced coronavirus closure
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday that all schools, nurseries and colleges will close on Friday in the war against Covid-19, which as if last night had claimed 104 lives in the UK.
All schools must close to pupils with the exception of children of key workers, including NHS staff, needed in the national effort to tackle coronavirus.
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Hide AdGCSE and A-levels exams in England and Wales have been cancelled this summer and although the Prime Minister said there are plans for students to receive qualifications, detail on how has not yet been released.
Some Sheffield schools closed earlier this week or introduced partial closures to reduce the number of children in lessons due to staff shortages.
Meadowhead School, King Ecgbert School, Newfield School, Ecclesfield School, Sheffield College, Westfield School and Hinde House School were among those which were partially closed yesterday.
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Hide AdIn addition, Stocksbridge High School has announced it is closed to Years 8 and 9 today and King Edward VII School is closed to Years 8, 9, 10 and 12.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “We welcome the Government’s announcement that, for public health reasons, schools will now close. It is better for this to take place in an ordered way than the chaotic pattern of closures that was developing.
“We also welcome the clarity that SATs, GCSE, AS- and A-Level exams are to be cancelled.
“This offers some degree of reassurance to teachers, their students and parents.
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Hide Ad“We note that, at this time of emergency, the Government has decided that teacher assessment is indeed a good method of giving reliable information about young people’s progress and achievements. We will return to that when this crisis is over.
“Now, more than anything else the Government needs to concentrate on ensuring that children in food poverty are fed properly - these children are not just those on free school meals.”
A number of schools have made arrangements for children who receive school meals to still be catered for.