Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for schools

All Year 11 and 12 provision for both VCE and VCAL will move to remote and flexible learning. Prep to Year 10 students will continue with remote and flexible learning in metropolitan Melbourne and these students in regional areas will commence remote and flexible learning. 

Any child enrolled in a specialist school in rural and regional Victoria will be able to continue to attend.

These requirements apply to all schools across the government, Catholic and independent sectors and across all metropolitan Melbourne and rural and regional Victoria.

Operating guidelines

• School operations guide

  Advice for schools to support remote and flexible learning as well as on-site provision in certain circumstances

• Learning from home
  

  Tools to support teachers to access technology and deliver remote and flexible learning guidelines
  

Health and safety measures

This guidance applies where schools have any onsite learning occurring.

• Face masks in schools

  Everyone over the age of 12 must wear a face covering when they leave their home for one of four permitted reasons
  

• School buses services
  

  In rural and regional Victoria, the School Bus Program will continue to operate as normal

• Outside school hours care

  OSHC programs may continue to operate with risk mitigation measures in place
  

• Pre-service teacher placements

  Supervised PST placements should go ahead as planned, within the operating guidelines circulated to schools

• School boarding premises

  Managing the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in school boarding premises

• Communicate with your school community

  Template letters and translations in community languages for school leaders to send to parents and guardians

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) phone line

  Ask questions regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) and education settings by calling 1800 338 663, 8 am to 6pm, 7 days a week (excluding public holidays). If you need an interpreter, call 131 450 first
  

Health advice for schools

Schools should consider a variety of strategies to support physical distancing and good hygiene practices to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission within the practical limitations of a school environment. The following actions are to be considered, adapted and implemented as necessary according to the education setting and the individual needs of the staff, students and the wider school community.

• Health and hygiene advice for all Victorian schools

  Schools should consider a variety of strategies to support physical distancing and good hygiene practices

• Mental health, wellbeing and support

  Support for staff and students with the impact coronavirus (COVID-19) has on mental health and wellbeing

• Health information

  In-line with advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer, schools should consider a variety of strategies to support physical distancing and good hygiene practices

• Working from home

  Guidance to all ongoing and fixed-term teaching service employees who are working from home

Student learning

• Learning from home

  Advice for parents, students, schools, early childhood education and care about flexible learning

• Training and work placements

  VET and work placements and SBATs training and employment placements can continue if health and safety considerations are met

• Changes to student learning

  Updates to NAPLAN, VCE and VET as well as subject-specific advice for classroom management of 'hands-on learning spaces'