The council has advised primary schools to move to remote learning for the majority of pupils until 18 January. Early years settings including nurseries and childminders can stay open.
The government has triggered the education contingency framework which includes the option to move primary schools to remote education should rates of incidence or transmission of the virus in a local area require it.
The government has enacted this element of the framework in some areas including London. Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, to ask him to include primary schools in Brighton & Hove in the list of schools that have moved to remote learning.
This is because our published data - up to 27 December - shows that rates of Covid-19 cases in Brighton & Hove has increased by more than 500 per cent since we came out of lockdown at the beginning of December, and provisional data is that this sharp increase is continuing.
In all areas where the education contingency framework has been enacted and primaries have been instructed not to fully reopen until 18 January, early years settings are advised to remain open, so the council’s advice is in line with the enactment of the contingency framework.
Schools do have the discretion to close their nursery classes so some school nurseries may be closed for children who are not vulnerable or key worker children.
Please check your child’s primary school and / or early years setting for more information.