UPDATED: 22nd February 2022

Covid-19

Latest information on COVID-19 policies for current FRA students, applicants, offer holders & their parents.

On Monday 21 February 2022, the Prime Minister set out the next phase of the government’s COVID-19 response: Living with COVID-19.

COVID-19 continues to be a virus that we learn to live with and the imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education remains. We'll continue to review these measures regularly.

Changes to testing in education

From Monday 21 February 2022, the Government is removing the guidance for staff and students in education settings to undertake twice-weekly asymptomatic testing. This means that the Government will no longer provide the FRA with a supply of tests to distribute to staff and students.

However, we recommend that everyone continues to test while these are still available free to order from your local pharmacy or online.

 

Changes to self-isolation and daily testing of close contacts

From Thursday 24 February 2022, the Government will remove the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test.

However, we strongly advise that all staff and students who test positive stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days. We also advise following this guidance until they have received 2 negative test results on consecutive days.

The Government will also:

  • No longer ask their fully-vaccinated close contacts (and those aged under 18) to test daily for 7 days.
  • Remove the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate
  • End routine contact tracing. Contacts will no longer be required to self-isolate or advised to take daily tests. Staff and students should attend their education settings as usual. This includes staff and students who have been in close contact within their household - unless they are able to work from home.

More detail on the above changes can be found in the Government's Living with COVID-19 plan.

From Friday 1 April 2022, the Government will:

  • Remove the current guidance on voluntary COVID-status certification in domestic settings
  • Stop recommending that certain venues use the NHS COVID Pass.
  • Stop providing free to-order universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.
  • Update guidance on steps that people with COVID-19 should take to minimise contact with other people. (This will align with the changes to testing.)

Kindest regards 

Lee Lucas
Principal & CEO

RESOURCES

  • You can read more on the Public Health England website.
  • The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and students can contact the helpline by telephone and email:
  • If you are struggling with your mental health during these uncertain times, please visit the following options for support: