From Monday 11 May 2020, Queensland state school students in Kindy, Prep, Year 1, Year 11 and Year 12, will be able to return to school and Community Kindergarten.
Children of essential workers, vulnerable children and children in designated Indigenous communities will continue to be able to attend school for supervision.

Students (Years 2-10) will continue with the home-based learning model.
If low transmission rates continue, students in Years 2–10 will be able to return to school from Monday 25 May, 2020. Confirmation of this next step will be made by 15 May 2020.

Yes. Schools will resume regular teaching and learning for students in these year levels as part of the phased return to school.
It is acknowledged that some parents of Prep, Year 1, Year 11 and Year 12 students may still wish to keep their children home from school due to concerns about COVID-19 and due to student health concerns. This is an acceptable decision and your child won’t be marked as being absent, rather that they are learning from home.
In these cases, parents and carers remain responsible for their children. This includes ensuring their children stay at home and continue their learning by accessing material such as those provided for parents on the by continuing with work set and by regular communication with the teacher.
As is currently the case, parents will be required to communicate with the school about their child’s absence from school. This includes when a parent chooses to keep their child at home due to concerns about COVID-19 as well as when a child is ill (See instructions for informing the school of such absence in letter home to parents). When you contact the school with this information you may also wish to discuss any support you may need to assist you with your child’s learning at home.
Parents and carers of students with health support needs are encouraged to consult their health practitioner when deciding if their child should attend school.

As part of the easing of restrictions applied under the COVID-19 response, schools will commence a phased return to regular schooling.
We want to take the earliest possible action to allow students to resume on-site learning and early years students (Kindy, Prep & Year 1) and students in their senior years (Years 11 & 12) have been identified as the first cohorts to return to back to school.
These year levels have been chosen for a number of reasons. Research clearly shows that the early years of schooling is when the building blocks for learning occurs. By allowing our young children to return to Kindy, Prep and Year 1 we can continue to provide them with the teaching and learning that enables them to grow into capable and confident young people.
We also know that the senior years of schooling are important as young adults make decisions about the pathways they will take after school. In addition, 2020 is the first year of Queensland’s new Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance (SATE) reforms and it is important that our senior students continue their learning at their school during this significant year.
Children of essential workers and vulnerable children from other year levels will continue attending school sites as they have done since the commencement of Term 2.

Years 2–10 will continue under the home-based learning model. Teachers will continue to deliver prepared lessons and materials for these students via home-based learning, as they have since the start of Term 2.
If low transmission rates continue, students in Years 2–10 will be able to return to school from Monday 25 May, 2020. Confirmation of this next step will be made by 15 May 2020.

Parents and carers continue to be responsible for student safety and wellbeing at home or elsewhere.

The decision to return to school for these year levels is informed by advice provided by the Australian Health Principal Protection Committee (AHPPC) and discussions with Queensland Health about a phased return to regular schooling.
Schools are identified as safe places for students and present low risk in relation to the spread of COVID-19.
The following measures will continue to be in place in schools:
- students and staff who are unwell must not attend school
- physical distancing of 1.5 metres is required by all adults
- adults must not gather in and around school grounds, car parks, school gates and outside classrooms
- parents should use stop, drop and go or similar facilities rather than walking their children into school
- students will engage in regular effective handwashing and hygiene protocols, including regularly washing hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser and covering coughs and sneezes
- increased cleaning frequencies of high-touch surfaces such as light switches and door handles
- technology such as video conferencing used for gatherings, meetings and assemblies
- school swimming pools remain closed and excursions, camps, trips and interschool activities are postponed at this time.

Yes. Queensland’s Chief Health Officer has provided advice and been involved in the decision making that has enabled the Government to make this decision.
The Chief Health Officer has provided her support for the staged return to school, including recognising the importance of commencing with a return to school-based arrangements for children at either end of the student cohort (Kindy, Prep, Year 1 and Year 11, 12 students).
The Chief Health Officer has also agreed that the staged return to school over several weeks, if low COVID-19 transmission rates continue, will provide critical time for schools to develop and implement arrangements to ensure the transition can be made safely for teachers, support staff, parents and carers and students.

Schools will continue to actively manage routines and protocols in and around the school site. Social distancing and physical distancing measures remain in place and it is important that schools continue to practice these measures.
While the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee advises that physical distancing is not required for students during classroom activities, schools may implement additional strategies including:
- using larger, alternative locations or classrooms within the school
- designating drop-off/pick-up points for parents in spacious areas
- making use of outdoor learning spaces
- staggering lunch breaks, start and finish times and other activities to reduce the volume of movement.
Schools will continue to manage timetable arrangements locally. Changes are likely to be made to previous schedules as school staff deliver both home-based learning and on-site delivery. Schools will communicate with parents regarding any changes to their usual routines.

No. At this time, it is not planned for these activities to resume during Term 2 given the social nature of these events. These restrictions will be reviewed in light of ongoing health advice.

ICB will continue to provide Before and After School Care services as long as there is demand.

ICB will continue to ensure high standards of health and hygiene are practiced on site. ICB will continue to promote handwashing and hand hygiene and will use additional cleaning allocations to frequently clean high use touch points in and around the school.

Social and physical distancing protocols continue to apply to adults in a school setting. We can all help to restrict the spread of COVID-19 by adhering to these protocols.
Schools will be taking action to limit the number of non-essential adults entering schools as well as implementing new procedures where required to limit the amount of adult to adult contact in and around schools.
This may mean different arrangements for pick-up and drop-off, on-line meetings between parents and staff rather than face-to-face and different staff room arrangements for staff. Individual schools will make the appropriate arrangements for their community.
Parents can help by minimising the need to enter the school, not gathering inside or outside schools, working with school staff and with new protocols or ways of working in and around the school.
Parents can also assist by ensuring their child stays away from school if they are showing any signs or symptoms of illness.

Schools will manage staffing allocations as they normally do. If a teacher is unwell or unable to attend school due to their own health reasons, principals will engage supply teachers as required.

Yes. ICb counseling will continue to be alert to the needs of students as we return to school. If parents are particularly concerned about their child’s wellbeing they should contact ICB.