20th March 2020 (1.45pm)
Dear Parent(s)
Re: Re: COVID-19
As you may well be aware overnight, the Government issued further guidance as to the imposed school closures, which includes the awaited list of Key Workers. I attach links to both of these documents below for your ease of reference.
Closure of schools:
Key Workers list:
When I wrote to you yesterday, I asked you, to complete a survey with regard to parents who may be a “Key Worker”, and suggested waiting until the Government had issued the confirmed list. The publication of the list took longer than anticipated but I would ask anyone, for whom it is relevant to review the documents and complete the survey by following the link below. Thank you to those who have already done so.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V3BLCC7
Having now been able to review the documents myself, I would like to highlight some of the key points that are made. It is the Government’s intention that “If children can stay safely at home they should”, and that the provision at schools is “only for those children who absolutely need to attend.” The provision in school for children of Key Workers is not there to provide students with the opportunity to socialise. The guidance is very clear in its intention; “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 the wider society.”
We as a school are attempting to follow the same guidance as each of you and to maintain the policy of social distancing and isolation for the staff of the school. Thank you to those of you who have responded already to confirm that although a key worker, you are doing all that is within your power to follow the clear instruction from the Government: “If it is it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be”.
We have been, and will continue to be in contact with specific Key Workers to confirm arrangements for specific days or indeed hours of support that you may require. I do appreciate that many of you have already been working long extended hours and may not even have been able to engage with the email communication from the school, until finishing your shifts!
Please could I request that if, at all possible, the survey is completed by all relevant families by 5.00pm this afternoon (Friday, 20th March 2020) so that we can best prepare supervision for Monday morning, 23rd March 2020. Supervision of children of Key Workers will run during the normal hours of school 8.30am to 3.15pm and students should make their way to the School Canteen to register, alternatively is they arrive during the day, they should report to the Main School Reception in full school uniform.
Any student who is entitled to a free school meal and who is not in isolation is welcome to come to school during our lunch break 1.25pm – 2.10pm and will be provided with a hot meal. To help with our catering arrangements, please contact our Head Chef, Ms Julie Kelly at
Alternatively, if any student who is entitled to a free school meal is in isolation therefore unable to attend school to have a meal, please can you email, Ms Halkes at
I would again thank all of you for your support, and would praise the students who have shown real resilience during this most unusual process. Particularly those students in Years 11 and 13 who have invested so much time and effort in preparing for examinations, that it would appear are now no longer going to take place. Please be assured that we, as a school, will be engaging with all of the Government instructions and guidance as the details of how grades, will be awarded, are confirmed. I will write to parents of these Year Groups separately, as soon as there is any more clarity on this process, thank you for your patience.
Yours faithfully
Mr Phil Grundy
Principal
