The Secretary of State has directed that remote education shall
be a legal requirement. So what does this mean for schools and
trusts?
Background
The Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, has
issued a temporary
continuity direction, in exercise of his powers under the
Coronavirus Act 2020, requiring schools to provide remote education
to pupils. The direction is accompanied by an
explanatory note which schools must have regard to when
complying with the direction.
What is the direction?
Schools must provide remote education where a pupil's travel
to or attendance at school would be contrary to guidance published
by the Department for Education (DfE) or Public Health England or
prohibited by legislation. In other words, where a class, group of
pupils or individual pupil need to self-isolate or there are local,
regional/tiered or national restrictions requiring pupils to remain
at home, schools are expected to provide those pupils with
immediate
