12.05.2020 IMPORTANT INFORMATION for Parents and Carers

Procedures_for_coming_into_school_during_covid.pdf

Dear Parents and Carers

Firstly, I would like to thank you all for the support you are giving us in helping your children to continue learning in these challenging times.We have received many emails from you expressing thanks for the work teachers are doing.We are learning as we go and are working on a more structured approach to help you and the students as we go forward.

It does not look as if we will be back to normal any time soon.To manage social distancing, we can fit no more than 6-8 students in a room so for those students in school, they are simply getting the same work as children at home.The main difference is, they can’t get up and walk about and are restricted to the same room all day. I am enclosing the new procedures for people in school so you can see what is required.

I appreciate that many of you are getting weary of trying to juggle your own work and helping the children but they are still safer at home.They are probably missing friends and, again, need to realise that their friends are not in school and, even if they were, they would not be able to meet up and do their own thing.This is one time when I genuinely say ‘thank goodness for social media!’

In order to manage the new regime, it is vital that we know in advance whether children are coming to school.Those few parents who have had to send their children to school so far have been fantastic in letting us know each week the days or half days that are needed.That has meant we can plan to make sure we have enough staff in to open the correct number of rooms to be safe.We have created a google form which we would ask you to fill in and return to give us enough notice (ideally a week) of the days or half days you need to send your children in.This still only applies to certain categories of workers.Both the procedures and form will also be on the website.The link to the form is: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwl1375F...

We cannot manage children who just turn up as we will not have enough staff in school. Most are working at home, many also looking after their own children – so they know how you feel!

Thank you to those of you who completed our survey to try to ascertain how many children we might expect if and when Government decides to allow more workers to send children to school.It was also important for us to know that most of you do expect us to be able to keep social distancing and hand hygiene in place.At the moment, we can manage but we will need more cleaners, more toilets (children are only allowed to go one at a time) and more hand washing facilities before we are able to expand our provision. We are working on this.Also with GTS to make sure we can manage with the number of children working ‘remotely’ from their school desk.Teaching by specialists in the classroom is a distant dream at the moment.From Monday, we are having to start to charge for lunches in the usual way so students will need their lunch cards or could bring in a packed lunch.

Thank you again for all your support, hard work and understanding.I know you will keep in touch and continue to work with us for the sake of your children.

Best wishes

Sue Moore