I hope that you are all keeping safe and I am sure that you are adjusting your routines following the Prime Minister’s announcement last night. School leaders did not have any prior knowledge of the closure of schools and we are now planning for this being a longer-term arrangement than we first thought.
Before and during the Christmas holidays I wrote to you explaining how students would return following the break, however, following last night’s announcement those arrangements are now required to change.
School will be closed until further notice and will be only be open to vulnerable students and children who have a parent who is defined as a Critical Worker, based on the government’s definitions. I will share further information on how to access this provision later this week. Families who have requested a place in the provision for this week can continue to attend.
In the coming days I will be writing to you with information regarding;
• The process for accessing Free School Meals for those entitled to them.
• An updated online learning timetable.
• Information regarding the mass testing programme.
• Pastoral and well-being support for students and families.
• Any updates to the public examination information.
We had a very successful online learning programme during the previous school closure in March 2020 and we have developed and extended our approach since then. This will mean that students will receive a rich and full curriculum, as close to normal as possible, during this enforced period of closure.
It is an expectation that students attend all online sessions and staff will continue to contact students who do not attend their sessions regularly. Information for students on how to access the links to lessons will be posted on the student portal, class sites, hub sites or by Microsoft Teams.
This is a very challenging situation for everyone, but as in the previous lockdown, we can make gains with education by working together and removing any barriers. If you have issues with remote education, please contact your child’s form tutor by email in the first instance.
Kind regards,
Mr D Irish
Principal