Coronavirus guidance: a handy summary

Educational operations

Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak (Updated 24th April)

Master guidance on the role of the early years sector under the Coronavirus Act 2020 which became law on 25^th March. Sets out responsibilities of the sector including which children settings are expected to stay open for (vulnerable children and children of key workers) plus has links to information on funding, EYFS changes, food, changes to Ofsted's operations and information for childminders.

Early years foundation stage: coronavirus disapplications (24th April)

More detail on the temporary changes to the EYFS which came into force on 24 April 2020 and will last throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. These affect:

• Learning and development requirements
• Staff ratios
• DBS checks
• The progress check and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
• First aid

Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested (published 15th April updated 29^th April)

‘Education and childcare workers’ are on the list of essential workers who are now able to book a coronavirus test online. Childcare professionals should go to https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk and self refer.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for educational settings (from DfE and Public Health England, published 7th April)

• What to do if someone develops symptoms
• How to limit the spread of Covid-19 in your setting

Social distancing guidance (Updated 7th April)

• The DfE will issue further detailed guidance for settings regarding the supply of Personal Protective Equipment to settings that require it.
• Childcare settings ‘may face additional costs as a result of coronavirus…We will put in place a new process that allows us to reimburse schools for exceptional costs that they face as a result.’

Cluster and hub provision (published 24th April)

Ofsted: coronavirus (COVID-19) rolling update (published 17th March, updated 27th April)

Health advice on Covid-19 from the NHS

Coronavirus (COVID-19): travel advice for educational settings

Financial support

Financial support for businesses during coronavirus (COVID-19)

A list of links to Government support on wages, sick pay, tax, business rates, grants, loans and support for self-employed people.

Use of free early education entitlements funding during coronavirus (First published: 28^th April 2020)

This is on how rules have been relaxed to allow councils can transfer early years funding between settings during the pandemic to ensure enough places are available. Contains information on how the funding will be paid and how the early years DSG funding flexibility works with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care (updated 22nd April)

On 17 April, DfE published guidance putting a number of caveats on how the CJRS and early entitlement funding interacts. Early years settings can only access the CJRS to cover the proportion of its pay bill which could be considered to have been paid for from that provider’s private income.

E.g. if a provider’s average monthly income is 40% from DSG and 60% from other income, the provider could claim CJRS support for up to 60% of their paybill. The Early Years Alliance believes this means in practice that if a provider had a monthly wage bill of £10,000, they would only be able to claim Job Retention Scheme support for up to £6000 worth of wages, meaning the maximum support they could receive from government would be £4800 (80% of £6000).

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (First published 20^th March. Updated 23^rd April)

Employers will be able to contact HMRC for a grant to cover most of the wages of their workforce who remain on payroll but are temporarily not working during the coronavirus outbreak.

Business rates

• Childcare settings in England which pay business rates will get a 12-month business rate holiday starting from the 2020 to 2021 tax year. No action is required.
• An additional Small Business Grant of £10,000 will be made available to small businesses that claim small business rate relief (SBRR), rural rate relief (RRR) and tapered relief.

Business interruption loan scheme

This scheme supports SMEs with access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million and will be interest-free for 12 months

VAT deferral scheme

Small business grant fund

£10,000 is available for businesses in England in receipt of either small business rates relief or rural rates relief.

Support for self-employed people

Self-employed workers or partnerships that have suffered a loss of income due to the coronavirus will be able to apply for a grant worth 80% of their average monthly profits over the past three years. It is capped at £2,500 a month.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for the charity sector

Changes to benefit eligibility

Further information

• Foundation Years is hosting regular video podcasts with the Department for Education (DfE) for which they are taking submitted questions. For the latest on disapplications of the EYFS and funding arrangements see https://foundationyears.org.uk/category/news/
• The Early Years Alliance website has an extensive list of Coronavirus-related frequently answered questions.
• NDNA website also has an extensive coronavirus section
• PACEY has a Coronavirus spotlight