Temporary closures of schools and nurseries - statutory guidance update: island communities impact assessment

Step Six – Next Actions

As noted above delivery mitigations will vary in different communities. Local authorities are responsible for meeting the needs of island communities when applying the guidance. Delivery of the guidance encourages greater flexibility on the criteria used for temporary closure decisions and temporary closure duration compared to urban areas.

Engagement has already taken place with island authorities and community representatives, and this feedback has informed the mitigations included in the guidance. We will continue to engage with LAs, the public and elected representatives of island communities on this issue.

The guidance explicitly recognises, small school rolls, lack of availability of alternative schooling options, more complex transport links and local authorities’ responsibilities to support parental choice over funded ELC provision under the Funding Follows the Child framework.