Dear Parents and Carers,
Since the Prime Minister announced on Sunday that schools may be opening to Reception, Yr1 and Yr 6 children from June 1st, anybody linked to schools in any way has been in a bit of a spin. I immediately had several emails from parents asking what it means for us and looking for guidance on what he was he saying. The simple answer is, we just don’t know. Yet.
On Monday, the Government produced a set of guidelines for schools to take into account when, considering what their approach to opening to those year groups could look like. Since then, the Staff and Governors have been involved in a series of meetings, working on feasible solutions. But the problem with the guidelines is that they are very long, impractical and highly contradictory in places. And they are only guidelines: we need to do what we think is right for our children and Staff, working all the time with the health of everybody in the building as our guiding principle.
The Education Unions are clear that there can be no compromise on safety. We all want school to reopen, but it can only be when it is safe to do so. We will not accept proposals that have lower safety standards than you would get in your supermarket of choice. If school does re-open in June and some pupils in Rec, Yr1 or Yr6 can return, we will carefully consider how the arrangements for these year groups work in practice, before sanctioning the return of pupils in other year groups.
So this is to let you know that we are all working on it, ahead of the final announcement from the Government on May 28th as to whether schools have the go ahead. We will communicate with parents in Rec, Yr1 and Yr6 at that point.
We hope you are all well and staying safe. Although some lockdown restrictions have been eased, Coronavirus is still very much with us and in our community, so please take care... or be alert if you so wish!! Our thanks again to those parents and carers who are working in, or volunteering for the NHS in any way and to all of the key workers for the incredible job you are doing.
Helen Eagles
HEADTEACHER