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In line with our own humanity, we seek the perfect way to help during a global crisis. Traditionally we volunteer and also urge others to take up critical assistance roles. But how can you avoid accepting volunteers or workers with no proper vetting checks? 

It's vital to firstly mention that the advice from the Government continues to be to stay home to protect the NHS and save lives, and we are now limited to very few purposes to leave our houses.

Many individuals will want to volunteer to support their local communities, either individually or as part of organised groups. There are many ways to help, but it is important it is done safely for all involved. It it vital to note that while you can still provide care or help to a vulnerable person, you must avoid all non-essential contact.

But what if people can, and do, want to help out in a safe manner – by providing childcare facilities to their community, or volunteering at the local school who is struggling to even stay open for children of key workers due to staff absence – and you want to hire them? In any case, you must remember to ensure they have come through appropriate channels and levels of background check, in order to maintain a high level of safeguarding.

Ofsted on Twitter: "Please don't use unregistered, non-DBS checked childcare. Keeping children safe is the most important thing in this difficult situation."

Ofsted have already warned institutions not to use unregistered, unchecked childcare, because it violates safeguarding regulations and fails to keep children safe. 

The Chief Executive of the Disclosure and Barring Service, Eric Robinson, similarly issued the following statement on the 25th of March, recognising the huge increase in volunteer recruitment:

"Employers within the healthcare profession are starting to recruit huge numbers of staff and volunteers to help them deal with the significant demand. The role of DBS is to ensure we provide those employers and voluntary organisations with adequate information, to enable them to make safer recruitment decisions." 

"Measures have been taken and systems put in place that will ensure we prioritise applications for DBS checks for those who are assisting in responding to this national emergency, making sure where possible, checks are carried out within 24 hours and also checking the Barred lists to make sure applicants are not already barred from working in regulated activity." - Eric Robinson

It is for this reason that the DBS has offered a new fast-track service completely free of charge, as of today (Monday the 30th of March). This is temporary, and is relevant to certain roles only. When an application for an enhanced DBS check is received and identified as an application for particular roles for COVID-19, the DBS will now check both barred lists within 24 hours. See more on these specific roles here.

Furthermore, as The Department for Health and Social Care has advised, if there is no match against the barred lists, the applicant can be recruited in advance of receiving the full DBS certificate. 

If you are looking to recruit a new volunteer or paid worker, you must therefore first ensure that they are properly vetted according to the requirements of their role, which you can find a full guide for here.

Please see an extract of Frequently Asked Questions below, more can be accessed here.

"I’m organising a group of volunteers. I understand that there isn’t a legal requirement for me to have my volunteers DBS checked, but should I do so anyway?"

DBS: "Many of the roles that volunteers will carry out in their local communities do not raise safeguarding issues and do not need a DBS check. You can have a look at the DBS eligibility guidance to confirm whether the activities your group propose to do are captured.

If your group’s activities are captured, under normal circumstances we would advise that having volunteers DBS checked is a prudent safeguarding step. There is, however, no legal requirement for you to have a DBS check. Regardless of whether you choose to have volunteers DBS checked, you should ensure your group follow simple, practical precautions such as working safely in pairs, keeping records of money spent and providing shopping receipts to safeguard all involved.

If they are not from the same household, volunteers must stay two metres apart at all times. Please remember that gatherings of more than two people in public are currently banned, with these measures being enforced by the police."

DBS: "DBS checks do not have an expiry date. In the case of new voluntary or community groups, we suggest that if a check is older than three years a decision should be made based on the individual and the role they will be carrying out.

Please remember that gatherings of more than two people in public are currently banned, with these measures being enforced by the police."

"My DBS check has recently expired. Do I need to apply for a new one?"

DBS: "As DBS checks do not have an expiry date, you should speak with the organisation that you are going to be working or volunteering for. They may choose to accept the check that you already have."

Please stay up to date with the full guidance from Public Health England which is available here.

How to avoid hiring unchecked workers who are flooding the market amid covid-19 crisis

Kritika M Narula shares a comprehensive guide to effective online learning, using specific technology tools, robust planning and communication strategies, which ensures that you maintain safeguarding students your priority during difficult times.

The recent outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In an effort to contain this exponential outbreak, public health officials are imploring the people to practice good hygiene and social distancing. 

Events are being indefinitely postponed, family gatherings are being cancelled, public places like cinemas and theatres have been shut, organisations are making provisions for their employees to work from home and schools are being closed down - all in an attempt to minimise social contact to curb the spread of the coronavirus and flatten the curve.

According to UNESCO, over 156 countries have implemented nationwide school closures at the time of writing. The suspension of physical classes, however, does not mean that all learning has to stop too. This is where technology comes to the rescue of teachers, parents and students – as we see a shift to online learning. 

Virtual learning is not an alien concept – many classrooms already make use of ‘Blended Learning’, where online learning tools are used in conjunction with traditional classroom learning. But as schools adopt virtual learning as the sole medium of teaching, students will spend more time on their devices and on the internet than they currently do. This will also potentially expose them to greater risks as they browse online, connect virtually and adjust to a non-traditional set-up of learning.

Safeguarding students during this period of increased internet usage requires the proactive involvement of the school, educators and parents alike. Whilst school administrations must update policies and pre-empt any threat to their students’ well-being and safety, the parents should take the lead on ensuring that the students have constant access to a safe space at home.

Below you will find a rundown of all the actionable steps that can be taken to minimise threats, and eliminate hazards, in the wake of the outbreak. 

It is important that the school administration is thorough in setting up the digital infrastructure for online learning – and more importantly, in setting up timely and effective communication. Kate Young, CEO and Founder of the Safeguarding Association, agrees: "Schools should be providing parents/carers with clear information about what is happening." She shares with us the three action items she believes the school management needs to give priority to: 

Early information sharing with parents and carers, liaising with departments about what is available online and how that can be accessed, and finally, information about what can be provided to students without access to devices or internet or in practical-based programmes to ensure continuity of learning.

Anxiety levels are already soaring given the current environment, so clear and succinct communication is more important than ever: within preventive, protective, control or corrective guidelines. The more specific these guidelines, the better. Below you will find a template.

Preventive and protective guidelines including:

Charting a communication code and chain for the staff, faculty and students. Create a visual flowchart explaining who can get in touch with whom and which mode of communication is to be used.

Laying down specific instructions about how to join the virtual classes, the tools used during teaching and share them as a FAQ document with the parents, students and staff.

Before embarking on regular classes, conducting a pilot or a test run to work out the knots in the process.

Creating pre-joining training modules for everyone involved. These could be in the form of step-by-step guides on how to access and use online learning tools and curriculum, including the learnings from the pilot run.

Creating tutorials using screencasts or screen-sharing and share them as simple .pdf files. If video tutorials are created, making them readily accessible for all students and staff.

Providing a separate forum where students can chat with each other. At the end of the day, they are still attending classes. Talking with their peers and classmates remains a part of that experience.

Control measures would ideally include the following:

Ensuring that a robust complaint and redressal mechanism is in place and communicated to everyone.

Setting up a helpdesk or a helpline that students and parents can use to clarify their doubts related to the tools or logistics.

Designing the lesson plan for classes in such a way that students are able to register their attendance, feedback and any concerns at regular intervals. Give breaks in between.

Protocols for regular check-ins with parents.

Banning the sharing of inappropriate or illegal content during the virtual sessions.

Protocols for managing a dispute that arises during an online class.

Providing resources and guidelines for crisis situations. What happens if the students don’t have internet? How can we ensure students still learn without exposing themselves to risks? What happens if a student is unable to join a class - how can they catch up?

Addressing the impact of relative isolation on the kids’ mental health by providing one-to-one virtual counselling sessions. Creating informal peer support groups is also helpful.

You can also have a look at the guidelines shared by Katie Rigg, CIS Head of Safeguarding & Student Well-being on how schools can shield their students from potential online threats. 

Parents need to talk openly with their children too

Communication and open dialogue are equally important between parents and students. Parents are just as worried about the students’ safety and it might seem like a good idea to put hard limits on their usage, to monitor their online activity and to introduce punishments when the children surpass those limits.

But at a time when panic and anxiety levels are already so high, using fear and punishment as tools to regulate children’s screen time may not be the best approach. Your conversation about keeping your children safe should instead emanate from a place of empowerment. Give them information that makes them feel secure.

What are some things parents can tell the students to keep them safe? Start with the basics: explain to them what privacy settings are, why safe browsing is important, how a strong password can protect them. Make them feel that they are in charge of their own safety. Kate Young emphasises certain ground rules that should form a part of this conversation:

"Tell your children to not ‘meet’ anyone online if they do not know who they are; to not open any links they are unsure of, particularly if those links have not come directly from school or college and that they should not use unsecured networks to access personal information, such as cafes/public spaces to access their records or personal data. Tell them not to place themselves at risk for a wifi connection."

Empower them with relevant information rather than punishing them for getting into trouble. That way, if they do find themselves in hot water, they will feel more comfortable approaching you and reporting any problems.

Limiting the time spent online: school time vs. personal time

Another emerging concern from the parents’ perspective is that online learning is bound to increase the time students spend glued to screens. So how do we regulate the time students spend online?

An effective strategy here is to demarcate their school time and personal time - and not just the time spent with screens. Diana Graber, author of Raising Humans In a Digital World and Founder of CyberCivics agrees that balance is key in the action plan: 

"Parents already worry about how much time their children are spending online, and with the prospect of kids staying home, online times (and, therefore, parental concern) are sure to skyrocket. So, it is imperative that parents help kids balance their online and offline lives!"

Graber offers a friendly, hands-on solution:

"When your children go online, set a timer to a predesignated amount of time (that you both agree upon), and when that time is up, help your children find off-screen activities to engage in. One way to do this is to have your children create a “wish list” of offline activities they’d love to do in their offline time, this can include anything from learning to skateboard to finger painting!"

It is also important to lead by example. For example, you can introduce a weekly day in the household when everyone collectively decides to ‘unplug’.

Effective and timely communication will ensure that the staff, parents and students feel empowered. But the fight to ensure the safety of the students does not end there. It is important to adhere to the safeguarding measures laid out by law, even when we shift to virtual learning.

Kate Young lays special emphasis on certain statutory provisions:

"Who can be contacted if there are concerns? Keeping Children Safe in Education requires the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy to be available at all times. That does not change even if the classes move into an online space."

It is imperative to track your action plan in response to COVID-19 in a compliant manner so that you don’t miss out on any guideline. This is where SCR Tracker’s technology can help you with your contingency plans, actions and records. 

It is also important to ensure accessibility measures are in place. Figure out ways to include students in classes who may not have steady access to a computer device at home. Have a conversation with students with disabilities to figure out how to include them and what resources can help them.

If you are looking for tools that can help you during this time, here’s a quick checklist:

Tools like Zoom, Skype, Teams, Google Hangouts Meet, Parlay, Nearpod, Kahoot, EdConnect, Classtime, Flipgrid can be used as the media for communication and as forums for feedback. Some of them have even extended a free version for a few weeks or months.

There are a plethora of online learning programs as well: Khan Academy, Outschool, Epic App, Education.com, BrainPop are a few of them.

Many other educational companies are also offering their services and tools for free. You can find the list here - these can be really helpful if you are yet to make to pivot to online teaching.

UNESCO has also provided a list of digital management systems, MOOC platforms and even systems with strong offline functionality!

Finally, if you have thought of the perfect EdTech tool during this time but haven't been able to find it, SCR Tracker is offering to build tools for you – enter your requests here.

There is no denying that moving to online learning and teaching is a massive adjustment for everyone involved. In the process of online learning, it is necessary to make sure the children are safe as they access various media and tools for studying.

Armed with the right technology tools, robust planning and timely communication, it is possible to keep the momentum of education going while keeping students out of harm’s way.

How can we keep students safe when their internet usage increases?

On the 19th of March, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) announced temporary changes to standard and enhanced ID checking guidelines.

They write that due to "current measures that have been put in place as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, we’re aware that organisations are having difficulty following the DBS ID checking guidance."

This is because it is currently the case that during ID validation, the ID checker must physically possess the original documents whilst carrying out a face-to-face or live video link check. Current guidance states that this is necessary in order to check for indications of fraud.

Due to government advice to work from home where possible, close schools (as of 19th March), close cafes bars and restaurants (as of 20th March), and all individuals to stay indoors (as of 24th March), checkers are now having difficulty receiving the physical documents. In turn this is delaying the identity checking applications and also entirely preventing submissions.

For this reason, the DBS is changing the standard and enhanced* ID checking guidance temporarily. 

As of the 19th of March 2020, the following is now in place:

The ID checker is now able to view ID documents over video link

You are now able to use scanned images in advance of the DBS check being submitted

Please note that the ID applicant will still be required to present the original versions of these documents when they first attend their role. As the ID checker, it is your statutory duty to check this upon commencement of their employment/volunteering role.

*UPDATE 24TH MARCH: This has now been extended to basic DBS checks too, if submitted through a Responsible Organisation. See source.

In order to ensure that you are correctly checking the documents for indicators of fraud, please check the GOV.UK advice here, and if you have any questions about the above, the DBS can be contacted here.

Please note that the DBS Contact Centre has also updated its opening hours* as of today, 20th of March 2020. Rather than opening 8am-6pm Monday to Friday, it will now be open 9am-4pm, and closed on Saturdays:

*UPDATE 24TH MARCH: The DBS Contact Centre is currently closed. Please see the below from gov.uk: 

Due to an ongoing issue following the coronavirus outbreak, the DBS Contact Centre will be closed temporarily while we deep clean the space. We will be in constant review of the situation and aim to reopen the Contact Centre as soon as possible. All updates will be communicated via GOV.UK and Twitter. If you have a general enquiry while the Contact Centre is temporarily unavailable, you can still contact DBS via: email, customerservices@dbs.gov.uk ; email (for barring enquiries): dbsdispatch@dbs.gov.uk ; Twitter: @DBSgovuk

*UPDATE 30TH MARCH: The DBS Contact Centre has reopened. The centre opening times have now been reinstated to those of the 20th March update as above. 

Images and information sourced from GOV.UK – to stay updated, monitor the GOV.UK coronavirus guidance.

DBS releases temporary changes to ID-checking procedures [UPDATED 30 March]

You work in an educational setting and so you've read countless articles about what to do, and what not to do, around the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. But what technology can you use to help you track your institution's next steps?

If you have made yourself aware of the relevant considerations to be taken at an educational setting, you might now be wondering what the best method of tracking each action might be. What tool can you use to ensure that each step has been completed and recorded in a compliant manner, to provide a full historical record?

Mass emailing and notifications to parents and staff members are dated and can be searched, but not easily filtered through when inboxes are overflowing and time is too scarce to apply labels, attach to checklists or aggressively filter into folders and sub-folders accordingly. To-do list technology can keep a list for you, but cannot give you compliant records of when and how such tasks were completed.

What if there was a way to attach those to-do checklists, dates and notes to each individual that you need to contact, so that you have a full record of each action that has been taken, who completed it, and when?

With SCR Tracker's technology, you are able to do just this. What's more is we provide you with a searchable Audit Trail that tracks the exact dates each user records a change to your data.

Above are just two examples of the kind of check-list you might have, kept in electronic form and recorded to provide a historical audit trail. As portrayed, these two sections, and their respective fields, would appear on each staff profile (you can even customise this so that it only shows for Teaching Staff or Support Staff, for example).

If you have sent out a self-disclosure form to staff members, remember to note the date it was signed and returned to you. 

If your staff member has travelled to at-risk countries, you can record a start date for their self-isolation. This would allow you to trigger substitute teaching for the correct dates.

If you have been told a staff member is at greater risk of complications, ensure you have measures in place to mitigate these risks and support your staff. Here, you are able to show that you have considered all avenues and recorded each step. Not only are you doing your due diligence, but you are also providing the most holistic support that you possibly can.

You could even add dates for when your staff members are no longer in isolation, which gives you exact lists of what you will need to action, and when, to support their return. 

You are able to record that you gave each individual access to the cloud-based materials they would need: any contingency plans, guidelines, online learning portals and more.

Our notes sections would give you the opportunity to record any specific extra information they may have given you, or you believe to be of significance. In so doing, you are efficiently safeguarding your staff members andyourself.

Our profiles also allow you to attach documents to each staff record. You could add self-disclosure forms, written guidance, email transcripts, and even risk assessments. 

By using additional section types and fields on SCR Tracker, you would not only be able to record what action has been taken, but also when, and the system records which user is recording any changes. You now have a full check-list for each individual you need to contact, as well as a remote and central location to access such data. 

It is important to note that the above system screenshots merely show an example of what the system can do – this is not what we have set to default, you will not be forced to take these steps. 

Each section type and field can be customised to suit your specific needs – and you can have as few, or as many, fields or sections as you would like. Our main aim is that the system is suited to what you need at your institution.

Furthermore, you are able to bulk edit all of your staff profiles using our spreadsheet-style advanced editor. Say, for example, you sent out the same guidance or confidential documentation to all of your teaching staff on the same date, you would be able to enter that date along the entire column of teachers. 

You can also add your colleagues to the administrative panel of SCR Tracker – that way, you can all help each other with recording what actions have been taken.

All in all, SCR Tracker can help you attach your to-do checklists, dates and notes to each individual that you need to contact, so that you have a full record of each action that has been taken, who completed it, and when. We can give you the peace of mind you need around your contingency plans, actions and records.

Would you like to see what else SCR Tracker can do for your institution? Request a demo today, to see some of the features and benefits you can look forward to. 

Watch our introductory video here. Questions? Contact us here. We look forward to hearing from you!

How to track your COVID-19 response in a compliant manner

There's been a recent surge of online learning activity as schools and universities around the world look for solutions to continue their teaching, learning and student support while institutions close due to the outbreak of Covid-19/coronavirus. 

While this surge will help to protect the well-being of their students, these institutions now face the additional challenge of how to protect students while they learn virtually.

Schools and universities launching virtual learning platforms and online classrooms should review their existing policies and consider implementing specific guidelines.

where students and staff or faculty should be located when they join virtual classrooms. For example, you might want to ensure where possible that individuals do not join virtual sessions from their bedroom, and school students are located in a common space in their house within earshot of parents unless they are having a confidential session (see below)


how staff, faculty and students interact with each other online, what are the do’s and don’ts around language, sharing of any personal contact details and sharing of material during virtual classrooms


Photo by stem.T4L / Unsplash


what staff, faculty and students should do if they are worried about someone or something they witness in an online platform? For example: 


are students able to report easily to a nominated person at the school or university


do staff and faculty know what to do and who to contact if a student becomes distressed during a session?


for schools, are teachers able to contact parents if they are worried? 


for universities, if your protocols do not allow you to contact parents, what other actions can you take?

are staff and faculty able to block a user if that user starts sharing inappropriate material in a virtual break-out session?


do your staff and faculty know how to report any illegal content that might be shared online, both internally within your organisation and externally to law enforcement?


are managers or designated staff able to enter virtual classrooms to monitor lessons on an ad hoc basis? 


is the school or university storing messages so that it can review material afterwards if necessary, and is this being done in accordance with relevant privacy laws in your country?

if it is necessary to have one-to-one counselling sessions virtually, how is the school or university protecting both the student and the counsellor? The same broad principles that apply to in-person sessions should also apply to virtual sessions, including around letting parents know about sessions in advance (for schools), behaviour and boundaries, recording and reporting. Specific considerations include:


do you have a safety plan in place for each student, which sets out what action counsellors should take if they think that a student is at significant or immediate risk of harm?


can your counsellors report to someone if they feel that a student might be developing a crush on them or if they feel that their behaviour might have been misunderstood?


for schools, can you have a parent be present at the start of the session and be nearby in case the student needs support, whilst still maintaining the confidentiality of the session?

For further information about how to protect staff, faculty and young people involved in one to one sessions, see this NSPCC Lone Working Guidance.

How are you adjusting any online monitoring that you already carry out to take into account new virtual activities? Find out more about monitoring for early intervention.

Tim Gerrish (a CIS Affiliated Consultant) and his colleagues at The Child Protection Advisors have drafted a set of guidelines to help navigate these complexities. CIS members can access these guidelines in the CIS Community portals for Schools and Universities.

Katie Rigg is the Head of Safeguarding and Student Well-Being at The Council of International Schools (CIS). Katie’s primary responsibility is to help CIS and school and university members to keep children and young people safe and to support and strengthen their mental health and well-being. In this capacity Katie carries out and supports research into new areas, develops resources, provides guidance and oversees professional development.

Safeguarding implications for online learning

With more than 100,000 cases across the globe, the coronavirus outbreak is a natural source of concern for schools and colleges. Schools in high-risk areas like China have been closed for weeks, and Italy — the worst affected country in Europe — recently announced a national 10-day school shutdown. According to the United Nations, almost 300 million students are currently affected globally. 

All scary-sounding statistics, yet the situation at home remains in containment mode. At the time of writing, 319 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, in the UK. But despite government advice, headteachers have been unsure of the best steps to take. As a result, a number of schools have reportedly closed over fears of spreading the virus. 

If you’re concerned about your school, here’s all the official advice you need to know about and some practical steps to help you prepare for a potential widespread outbreak.

Few coronavirus cases have been seen in children, says the government. “Evidence from China at least would imply children have much less of this disease, either because they get it less often or the version they get is a lot milder,” explained chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty to The Sun.

In fact, most people with coronavirus will not experience a severe infection. (However, the elderly and people in ill health can be at risk of more serious symptoms.) It’s still not 100% clear how the virus spreads, but it’s believed that droplets from coughs or sneezes can transmit it to others.

Public Health England has advised that schools don’t need to close right now. If a student or staff member has returned from a Category 1 area — that’s Wuhei city and Hubei Province in China, Iran, special care zones in South Korea, and quarantined areas in Italy — in the past 14 days, they should remain at home in isolation for two weeks. Anyone who has returned from any part of Italy since the 9th of March is now also being advised to do the same.

Those who have recently visited Category 2 countries — a longer list that includes the rest of China, Japan, and Hong Kong — only need to self-isolate if they develop symptoms. These tend to show up as coughs, fevers, and breathing difficulties.

Within the next two weeks, however, advice may intensify. The government is soon expected to tell anyone with a fever or minor signs of a respiratory tract infection to self-isolate for seven days. It’s part of a bid to delay the peak of the virus until summer when the NHS is more well-equipped to cope.

If pupils or staff are in self-isolation, the rest of the school should carry on as normal, per the government’s action plan. There is also no need for schools to send students home if a pupil or colleague is being tested for coronavirus. But if they receive a positive diagnosis, your local Public Health England Protection Team will be in touch to advise next steps. According to the government, full closures are often unnecessary. 

But if the UK’s coronavirus situation worsens, stricter measures may be put in place to reduce the risk of spreading. This may include social distancing strategies like school closures. However, any tactics “will need to be balanced against their impact on society,” says the action plan — especially the burden on parents.

A Department for Education helpline now exists to answer burning questions from educational staff and parents. Call 0800 046 8687 any time between 8am and 6pm on weekdays.

How to deal with the current coronavirus risk

To help contain the coronavirus outbreak, it’s important to practice basic hygiene and to pass this knowledge on to the school community. Hold an assembly detailing simple ways to prevent spreading germs, and put up posters around the school to emphasise the message.

Here are a few easy things for both staff and students to remember:

Wash your hands as often as you can. This includes before you leave the house, when you arrive at and leave school, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or the amount of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice.

Use hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol when you don’t have access to soap and water.

Always cough and sneeze into a tissue, and immediately throw the tissue away.

Try not to touch your face with unwashed hands.

Disinfect surfaces and objects that people tend to touch throughout the school day. 

You may also want to hold off booking school trips to at-risk countries. For more prevention information, head straight to the government's educational settings guidance. 

If you suspect a pupil or colleague has coronavirus, don’t shut the school and don’t send the person to a doctor or hospital. Instead, call NHS 111. While waiting for a response, sit the person in an isolated room or at least two metres away from others. Ask them to avoid touching people and objects, and ensure they have a tissue for any coughs and sneezes. (They can sneeze or cough into their elbow if you don’t have tissues to hand.)

When you’ve been given official advice and the person has left the premises, the room should be thoroughly cleaned. Again, you don’t need to take further steps unless told to by health professionals.

Although coronavirus may not spread to all corners of the UK, it’s sensible to start considering how you’d continue teaching if your school were to shut.

With exam time on the horizon, a particular worry may be the fate of your students’ grades. Exam regulator Ofqual told Schools Week it’s working closely with exam boards and the Department for Education, and continues to “consider whether there are particular risks to the smooth running of exams.”

“We will update our existing guidance to reflect any specific arrangements schools and colleges should put in place if required,” the regulator added, advising schools to continue preparing students for exams and to ensure up-to-date contingency plans. Help with contingency planning can be found here.

But it’s not just exams that need attention. One school in Devon was forced to adapt when a case of the virus spelled its closure. Laptops were loaned to students, and online lessons — four blocks of 75 minutes each day — were implemented, with teachers available to mark work and answer questions.

Ask yourself if your school or college can adopt a similar strategy. If so, do students have the resources to work virtually? Or can they be given hard copies of lesson plans? Answering these questions now will save a lot of stress if a national outbreak were to occur. Don’t forget to keep parents informed of any measures that may be put in place and, most importantly, don’t panic.

As Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told the Independent: “The priority must be to minimise the disruption to the learning of students.” Only time will tell if disruption is on the horizon for education across the UK.

How schools should react to the coronavirus outbreak