Schools in the borough

All schools in England are closed for the foreseeable future for the vast majority of children from the end of Friday 20 March.

Schools will however remain open for children who have specific needs and/or a parent defined by the government as a key worker. This is to enable these key workers to continue with their crucial work during the coronavirus pandemic, if they have no other suitable childcare arrangements available.

Schools in Barking and Dagenham have been contacting their parents directly, to identify which children need to be catered for from Monday 23 March. If you are not sure about your position, please contact your child’s school directly. They are sending regular emails to parents and updating their individual websites as more information becomes available.

Arrangements are also being made by schools to ensure that children with parents on benefits who normally receive free school meals will still be provided for, whether they continue to attend school from Monday or are at home.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to all our school staff and parents for everything you’re doing to adjust to this quickly-changing situation. We know it’s a really unsettling time for everyone.