Children in Year 7 and above should wear face coverings in communal areas in schools and colleges as part of measures to slow the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, the Department for Education has said.

In a media statement, the Department for Education said face coverings should be worn in communal areas of schools and colleges from Monday.

The measures will be reviewed in three weeks, the statement said.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “The news of a new variant – the so-called Omicron variant – will have understandably caused concern for people across our country, including our teachers, wider education and childcare staff, parents, pupils and students.

“We are already taking targeted and proportionate action as a precaution while we find out more information about the new variant. As we do so, we will continue to prioritise children’s and young people’s education and wellbeing, making sure education and childcare settings are as safe as possible and children continue to benefit from classroom teaching.

“We are working with education and childcare settings to enhance safety measures where needed, including introducing isolation for 10 days for close contacts of suspected Omicron cases.

“I’d like to thank everyone working to support our children and young people for their patience and hard work.”

An email update from the Department for Education to education and childcare providers said: “Face coverings should be worn in communal areas in all settings by staff, visitors and pupils or students in Year 7 and above, unless they are exempt.

“Pupils or students (in Year 7 or above) should continue to wear face coverings on public and dedicated school transport, unless they are exempt.”

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: “We welcome the DfE guidance that masks must be worn by adults and children in Year 7 and above in communal areas.

“We think the DfE should go further and encourage mask-wearing in secondary classrooms and also plan investment to improve ventilation and air filtration.

“These steps can all help reduce the spread of Covid and thereby reduce disruption to education.

“Omicron makes the threat of disruption of education all the clearer: any close contacts of an Omicron case, staff or pupils, will have to self-isolate for 10 days, whether vaccinated or not.

“Such steps are all the more important because vaccination has not yet been offered to even a majority of secondary children.”