A plea has been made to parents to keep their children at home rather than sending them to school.

Lancashire County Council has updated guidance to parents and schools as the first week of lockdown 3 has seen ‘significant demand’ for critical worker places.

The government closed primary and secondary schools, including colleges, for classroom teaching until mid-February for the third national lockdown. Teaching has moved to remote provision.

The county council has published the full guidance on vulnerable children and the children of critical workers qualifying for a school place.

A statement said: “One area that has been updated is around the places that are available in schools for children of critical workers and vulnerable youngsters.

“If you’re a critical worker, you should keep your child at home if you can as this will help relieve pressure on our schools and ensure there are places for those who don’t have the option of keeping children at home.

“There has been significant demand in some Lancashire schools for these places, so if critical workers who are able to keep children at home do so it will be a great help to those schools.”

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Children are eligible to attend school or college, on-site, if at least one parent or carer is a critical worker and they can’t keep their child at home.

Or if the child meets the definition of vulnerable children and young people.

Critical workers are classed as those whose roles are ‘critical to the coronavirus response and the EU transition response’.

This includes those working in health and social care, education and childcare, key public services such as justice and media, local and national government, food production and distribution, public safety and national security such as police, emergency services and border staff, transport, utilities, communication and financial services. A full list is on the government website.

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