20/03/2020
Dear Parents and Carers
School Update on impact of Covid 19
Please read this letter carefully as it sets out the McKee’s plan for supporting students throughout this current crisis.
Firstly can I express on behalf of the school and its Governors our deepest concern for those vulnerable students, families and teachers who have been disproportionately impacted upon by this virus. We all hope you are safe and stay healthy.
Current Situation
McKee College has been affected badly by this crisis. Staffing and student attendance has been affected and the vulnerable category of staff who cannot risk exposure to the virus due to underlying health conditions is a constraint on our ability to offer a full timetable going forward.
Advice from the Government, Public Health England and the Local Authority is complex and difficult to implement quickly given our current staffing crisis and the amount of preparation needed to move to online learning.
Each day different staff are absent and we are still sending students home who have symptoms of coughs and temperatures, increasing risk of cross infection. Each time a student with symptoms presents at school we are faced with the issue of having to send all students and staff back home whilst we repeat the deep cleaning process.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IF THEY HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS.
We cannot keep the school clean if it’s constantly being re-infected, our stocks of sanitizers and anti bacterial wipes have gone, with no replacements available due to panic buying and restrictions.
As a result it is simply not possible at this time for the school to guarantee that it is a sanitised environment.
The school will re-open on Tuesday 24th March 2020 to a limited group of students who fall into the “vulnerable” category. At this time this is students with EHCP, those who have a social worker and to students of parents identified as “key workers” however I must state that this should only be used if you have no other safe alternative.
A school survey will be completed next week to identify which students are in the “vulnerable” category and intend to attend school.
Year 11 students, regardless of category will no longer come to school.
All other students will be educated remotely at home via internet.
If you do not have a computer/laptop or some other means of accessing the internet please contact the school. We will then make arrangements to have work printed out and sent to you.
Full details of how we are going to implement our online learning will be shared over the next week, please refer to our website regularly.
THE SCHOOL WEBSITE WILL BE THE MAIN FORM OF COMMUNICATION
This is a very trying time for all of us and it’s a situation that I have never contemplated or planned for therefore I ask you to be patient as this is going to be a marathon and not a sprint. We need to look at the experience in other countries and be prepared for this situation to last right up to the summer break.
I am deeply upset for our Year 11 students and those other Year 11s across the country who have worked so hard for their exams and have been denied the opportunity to take them.
A decision has not yet been made as to how they will be awarded grades but it will likely be based on performance in KS2 exams predicted forwarded and cross referenced with current attainment levels. As I know more I will share this on our website.
As said earlier, please keep checking our web site as it’s the easiest way for the school to keep communicating.
Finally Government advice is still that every child who can be safely cared for at home should be, the offer of a place in school for “vulnerable” children is an offer and there is no requirement for parents and carers to send their children to school. The best place for children at this time is at home practising social distancing.
Students’ education will not suffer by staying at home because our online learning support will be the same work as they would get in class, teachers will be available online in real time to support students.
Keeping students, staff and their extended families safe at all costs should be everyone’s priority at this time.
Best wishes
Andrew Murray, Headteacher