Head teacher: Liz Bartholomew Head Teacher of Mayflower Primary School CONCERNED parents are urging others to sign a petition to get the Government to close schools in January to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. Following yesterday s announcement by the Department for Education (DfE), secondary schools and colleges across Essex will be included in a country-wide move to remote learning until January 18, 2021. This is to allow time for the roll-out of a mass testing programme across the country as cases continue to rise. Primary schools in the hardest-hit areas of Essex including Braintree and Maldon will also face a staggered return.