Question: What are the educational attendance expectations of vulnerable children and young people?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Supporting children and young people with SEND as schools and colleges prepare for wider opening
section_headers: Questions and answers
What does it mean for attendance to be ‘appropriate’ or ‘expected’ for particular children and young people?
section_content: The guidance on vulnerable children and young
people refers to pupils
and students attending if it is ‘appropriate’. For children and young people
with an EHC plan, when a child or young person’s needs can be met as safely or
more safely in the educational environment, attendance is deemed ‘appropriate’
and these children and young people should be strongly encouraged to attend.
If their needs cannot be met as safely or more safely in the educational
environment, attendance is ‘not appropriate’ at this time and these children
and young people should remain at home and be supported through remote
education and other services, where possible. Local authorities and
educational providers should keep risk assessments under review, in case
circumstances change and a different decision is needed.
*[EHC]: education, health and care plan

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This information does answer the question directly. It also focuses on vulnerable populations and isn't as thorough as Candidate Answer #1, which is why I marked acceptable.
This is a good response that states right away that vulnerable children's attendance is expected where appropriate. It then goes into a little more detail about what appropriate means in this situation

Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
section_headers: Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Attendance of children and young people who are otherwise vulnerable
section_content: This group includes children and young people across all year groups who have
been assessed as being otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local
authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could
therefore benefit from continued attendance. This might include children on
the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services, adopted
children, those at risk of becoming NEET, those living in temporary
accommodation, those who are young carers and others at the provider and local
authority’s discretion.
Educational providers - together with other relevant partners such as local
authorities, where appropriate - should:

identify children or young people who may fall into this ‘otherwise vulnerable’ category - noting that the examples given above do not constitute an exhaustive list of children and young people who might be ‘otherwise vulnerable’
contact these children and young people and their parents/carers to make them aware that they are eligible for a place
encourage their attendance, where it is appropriate, and if absent, follow up with the parent/carer to explore reasons for absence

*[NEET]: not in employment, education or training

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This focuses more on who is eligible to be included in the group, rather than what the attendance expectations of the group of children are. It needs more information to be helpful.
This response does a pretty good job setting the expectation for vulnerable children stating that it's important that they continue to be present. It also talks about how educators can handle this special situation

Reviewer ratings:
Could be Improved
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - actions for educational providers and other partners
section_headers: Attendance of vulnerable children and young people
Summary of attendance expectations for vulnerable children and young people
section_content: Vulnerable children and young people’s attendance is expected, where it is
appropriate for them (that is, where there are no shielding concerns for the
child or their household, and/or following a risk assessment for children with
an EHC plan) so that they can gain the educational and wellbeing benefits of
attending. Vulnerable children and young people - regardless of year group -
that have not been attending in the recent period are expected to return to
nursery, early years, school or college provision where this would now be
appropriate for them to do so. A brief summary of attendance expectations
across the different groups of vulnerable children and young people is as
follows:

For vulnerable children and young people who have a social worker, attendance is expected unless the child/household is shielding or clinically vulnerable (see the advice set out by Public Health England on households with possible coronavirus infection, and shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as clinically extremely vulnerable).
For vulnerable children and young people who have an education health and care (EHC) plan, attendance is expected where it is determined, following risk assessment, that their needs can be as safely or more safely met in the educational environment.
For vulnerable children and young people who are deemed otherwise vulnerable, at the school, college or local authority discretion, attendance is expected unless the child/household is shielding or clinically vulnerable (see the advice set out by Public Health England on households with possible coronavirus infection, and shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as clinically extremely vulnerable).

For all these groups, educational providers, local authorities, social
workers, parents/carers and other relevant professionals (where applicable)
should work together closely to consider factors, such as the balance of risk,
including health vulnerabilities, family circumstances, risks outside the
home, and the child or young person’s assessed special educational needs,
where relevant. The sections below set out specific considerations that these
partners may wish to consider when determining whether attendance is
appropriate.
Parents will not be penalised if their child does not attend educational
provision. We expect educational providers and other relevant partners to work
with and support the relevant families and pupils to return to school, where
attendance is appropriate.
*[EHC]: education, health and care

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This answers the question directly and in specific terms. It also mentions that parents won't be penalised which is helpful. The links are good resources too.
This is an excellent answer that addresses the question immediately in the first sentence. It talks about how they are expected as far as the situation allows and provides some links for how to help keep vulnerable children safe

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent