Dear Parents,
Update for Return to School
We are closely following the latest guidance from the Local Authority and the Government. The following is reported by the BBC:
The plan for all primary school years in England to go back to school before the end of term is to be dropped by the government. There had been an aim for all primary pupils to spend four weeks in school before the summer break.
But it is no longer thought to be feasible and instead schools will be given "flexibility" over whether or not to admit more pupils.
Headteachers' leaders said it had never been a practical possibility.
It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock conceded at Monday's Downing Street briefing that secondary schools in England may not fully reopen until September "at the earliest”.
Currently we are awaiting advice to see what the latest information is about the R value. We do hope to admit more Y6 pupils followed by Y1 and F2 and then F1 before the end of term, however, this is all dependent on advice from the Local Authority and Public Health England. It may be as late as a Friday evening, before we can invite further pupils in on the Monday, so please keep an eye on text messages.
Our position is, that we would not be able to fit more than 15 pupils in each classroom if we still have to socially distance. If we split classes in two, we don’t have enough staff. Currently we are about to reach our maximum for each class, based on numbers of children who fall into the returning category.
Some parents have been asking why some children are back and not others. Below is an extract from our updated Covid safeguarding policy, and might help to establish why it is that only some children invited back.
Vulnerable children for the purposes of continued attendance during the coronavirus outbreak are those across all year groups who:
- Are assessed as being in need under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or are a looked-after child.
- Have an education, health and care (EHC) plan and it is determined following a risk assessment that their needs can be safely or more safely met in the educational environment
- Have been assessed as 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 and young people 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.
We will of course be in contact as soon as we have some confirmed safe dates to start back and with any further information about September.
With best regards
Deborah Richards (Mrs.)
Headteacher