What’s happening in the news with Babies and Children in February 2021? We give you a rundown
Covid-19 news – Schools in England are to reopen on 8th March – 22/02/2021
It’s been announced that schools are to soon reopen in England. Details of Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown have been announced this morning. This is ahead of his full briefing later today.
Also it’s to be announced that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not happen in 2021. Instead teachers will be estimating pupils’ grades.
In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has stated schools will have a staged return. With primary school children years one to three going back starting today. Pupils in secondary schools who have practical work to do will also be allowed back today.
Further returns will be made by pupils on 15th March. The First Minister also said, “It may mean the rest of us living with some other restrictions for longer”. She then followed, “That is a trade-off we need to be willing to make.”
In Wales, Children in Nursery to year 2 will also return to school today. As long as the Covid-19 statistics improve, primary school pupils will possibly get back into the classrooms from 15th March.
In Northern Ireland, It’s been announced that children will not return to their schools before 8th March.
Over £42 million to extend projects for children with SEND
The Government has just released the funding for numerous projects. The funding will go to raising educational standards, improving services and providing practical support. It will help children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
This investment will ensure that specialist organisations around the country can continue their work to help strengthen local area performance, support families and provide practical support to schools and colleges.
The news will be welcomed by many. Schools, colleges, families and local authorities, to support thousands of children with SEND will benefit.
Cheryl Ward, Chief Executive of Family Fund said:
We are immensely grateful to the Department for Education, for their continued support for families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people. The pandemic has hit families hard both financially and emotionally. This news provides reassurance to tens of thousands of parents and carers that financial grant support will be available to help them on what for many, will be a long road to recovery.
Covid-19 vaccine trials on children
News The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine will soon to be tested on children has been announced. They are to begin testing on children as young as 6 years old. Until now, none of the vaccines has been tested on children this young. The trial is to start this month and is taking place at Oxford University.
Andrew Pollard, Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity at the University of Oxford said.. “It is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children, and young people, as some children may benefit from vaccination,”
He went on to say “For most children, for themselves, COVID is really not a big problem,”. Andrew Pollard then continued “However, it is certainly possible that wider use to try and curb the progress of the pandemic might be considered in the future. Here we’re just trying to establish the data that would support that if indeed policymakers wanted to go in that direction.”
Both Pfizer and Moderna started testing their vaccines in children between 12 and 18 at the end of last year.
Covid-19 lockdown – when will schools in England reopen
In the Babies and Children news for February 2021 so far. Boris Johnson has announced that schools will not be reopening after the school half term. Boris Johnson has a plan to reopen schools on Monday the 8th March. This news comes as Professor Tim Spector revealed that cases of Covid-19 have dropped.
We’ll have to wait until the 22nd of February to discover the full plans. This is because Boris Johnson said, no final decision will be made yet. Like all parents, we look forward to some good news in these ever-changing times!
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