ALMOST half of eligible pupils have had their first jab in time for the return to school this week.
As the autumn term commences, the borough council expects more students will take up the offer of their first jab, and said the pop-up events at The Forest and Bulmershe school were successful.
It comes as the Government updated the Contingency Framework, which advises on actions after a positive case, and re-defines “close mixing”.
A spokesperson for Wokingham Borough Council said they are supporting schools in the decisions they make, based on “what feels right for them”.
“Our dedicated Children’s Covid-19 Taskforce is continuing to reaching out to local headteachers and early years staff to provide information on the guidance, understand what measures they might be putting in place from this week, and to see how we can support further,” they added.
Last autumn, case rates began to climb, coinciding with the arrival of cold and flu season.
To help keep cases low, the council spokesperson said the taskforce will continue to have daily contact with headteachers.
There will be weekly virtual leadership drop-in sessions, where council staff can share information and school leaders can discuss and share best practices.
And schools will be updated with any changes in Government guidance.
The taskforce is also aiming to support parents, carers, young people, and staff who feel anxious about returning to school.
From this month, all state-funded schools will be given CO2 monitors, to spot whether ventilation needs to be improved.
The £25 million investment will fund roughly 300,000 monitors, with priority going to SEND schools.
The council aims to provide schools with information on CO2 monitors, including how and why they should be used.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Providing all schools with CO2 monitors will help them make sure they have the right balance of measures in place, minimising any potential disruption to education and allowing them to focus on world-class lessons and catch up for the children who need it.
“By keeping up simple measures such as ventilation and testing, young people can now enjoy more freedom at school and college.”
