Clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) teachers and school staff have been told that they can attend work from next month if they are unable to work from home.

The Department for Education (DfE) guidance to schools has been updated to reflect the fact that clinically extremely vulnerable people are no longer being advised to shield by the government from April. 

However CEV school staff are still being told to work from home where possible.

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Where this is not possible they should now attend school, the DfE said today.

The department has also told schools that from Thursday 1 April, all CEV pupils should attend early years provision, school, college, wraparound childcare and out-of-school settings, “unless they are under paediatric or other specialist care, and have been advised by their GP or clinician not to attend”.

In an email to schools today, the DfE said: “Where parents, carers, staff or students are anxious about attendance, you should speak to them about their concerns and discuss the protective measures that have been put in place to reduce the risk and any additional measures that could be put in place.”

During the most recent national lockdown, the DfE had said that extremely clinically vulnerable should work from home but that clinically vulnerable teachers, including pregnant staff, could still work within schools where working from home was not possible.

This came after headteachers had criticised the government for not issuing new advice for clinically extremely vulnerable teachers in the light of the lockdown.