Dear parents and carers
As a school we continue to monitor and follow the latest government guidance. We want to reinforce the government message that the default position is that schools and colleges are the last resort, open only for emergency provision when there is no alternative option, and that parents and carers should keep their children at home where at all possible.
The fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.
Like all schools we are therefore being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children – children who are vulnerable and have a social worker, and children whose parents are critical to the COVID-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home. The majority of students will be staying at home throughout this period.
Students who attend school will be divided into two groups and come in for one shift daily – morning or afternoon. This is to enable us to manage the social distancing required within the constraints of our building and staffing.
Students will work individually and independently in a classroom and will be supervised from a distance as they complete the same remote learning and support being accessed by their peers who are at home. We need to be clear that they will not be receiving any additional input or tuition.
Our teachers continue to work hard to create and provide a high-quality remote learning experience where students can work on tasks, interact, ask questions and receive feedback. This is ever- evolving and improving and we ask families to be patient with any teething problems. Please do contact us if needed.
Key-working and relationships are central to how we work as a school and we intend to keep this front and centre throughout this challenging period. Our key-workers will continue to do this important role, albeit remotely. This means they will be checking in daily on their students through email or Microsoft Teams. They will have regular contact with parents and carers via email and will be the first port of call for any queries, just as they would be ordinarily.
We will continue to work hard to safeguard all of our students, working with families, partner schools and wider agencies where appropriate. We also ask any family who finds they are in hardship or struggling to reach out.
These are challenging and unprecedented times and we continue to prioritise the health and well-being of all our communities and their wider families. We thank you for working with us to this same aim.
Please stay safe, take care, keep checking the website and keep in touch