This page will be kept updated with information and guidance related to education and childcare in response to COVID-19
As of January 4th January 2021, the re-opening of schools in Southwark has been delayed.
You can find resources for parents and carers on the Southwark Council website which includes information and advice regarding your child's school attendance during the pandemic.
Southwark's Back to School guide
Click here (pdf, 840kb) to download Southwark's Back to School health information booklet or visit the Council's website for details. You can also email the Back to School team if you have any queries regarding your child's school attendance.
Download the most recent advice from Vicky Ford MP (pdf, 126kb) to all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their parents/carers and families, and others who support them.
Updated Government guidance on what parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges can be found here.
Guidance on the full opening of special schools and other specialist settings can be found here.
Guidance for parents and carers of children attending out-of-school settings, including after-school and holiday clubs, can be found here.
Ofqual and the Department for Education want to hear the views of students who were due to take their exams this summer, their parents and carers, their teachers, school and college leaders and others who have an interest, including further and higher education providers, and employers. The consultation covers general and vocational qualifications and closes at 11:45pm on 29th January 2021.
Contribute to the consultation for vocational qualifications here.
Contribute to the consultation for GCSE, AS and A level grades here.
Following the reopening of schools in September, bus services for children were revised to meet the increase in demand.
To help manage this TfL introduced changes to buses during term time on weekdays from 07:30-09:30 and 14:30-16:30 to help with safe travel:
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dedicating a number of existing buses for school travel only on routes with a frequent service that are likely to be the busiest. These buses will have clear signs to differentiate them from regular bus services and information will be posted at bus stops and online
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adding over 200 extra dedicated School Service buses on some of the busiest routes with less frequent services. This includes adding buses to existing school bus services. These measures have been prioritised for routes on which students travel longer distances
Check to see if your route is affected or view a full list of bus routes affected.
Plan and allow more time for your journeys, if you are travelling by bus during school travel times as you may have to wait longer.
Watch the TfL video to see what other changes we have made to our buses that help safe and sustainable travel.
KOOTH
Online counselling for young people:
Kooth is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is available online, offering free and safe access to self-help materials, mood-tracking, online journal and goal setting tools and a moderated online community of peers.
Access is free of the typical barriers to support: no waiting lists, no thresholds, no cost and complete anonymity. You can visit their site by clicking here
The Nest
The Nest in Southwark provides free mental health and wellbeing support for young people aged 13 – 25. This supports young people and their families with the opportunities, experiences and tools to enable them to develop their emotional and social skills through one-to-one and group work.
During this period, the service offers remote support including e-resources, an online chat service, and one-to-one advice over the phone or video calls. Once lockdown restrictions are lifted these services will continue alongside face-to-face support from the base in Peckham, Southwark. For More information please click here.
Guide to Mental Health and Wellbeing for those with Learning Difficulties
Please click here to download the easy read guide for looking after your feelings and body.
You can find further guidance on looking after your mental health and wellbeing on the Government website.
Parent Consultation Service
The Parent Consultation Service offers parents and carers an opportunity to request consultation about the concerns they have about their children at home. Find out more by downloading their leaflet here. (pdf, 243kb)