Dear Parents

 

As advised by the government, we will be open for the children of key workers, those with an EHCP and vulnerable children, from Monday 23^rd March 2020. Vulnerable children include children who are supported by social care, those with safeguarding and welfare needs, including child in need plans, on child protection plans, ‘looked after’ children, young carers, disabled children and those with education, health and care (EHC) plans.

 

The cabinet office published the list of Key Workers in the early hours this morning:

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

 

If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors in the list, and you cannot keep your child safe at home, then your children will be prioritised for education provision.

 

The key principles are:

 

1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.

 

1. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.

 

1. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.

 

1. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.

 

The government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and has asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.

If you believe that your children qualify to be children of Key Workers, and you intend to send them into school, please let your child’s Head of Year or the Charvil reception team know by noon today so we can plan for next week. Please note the guidance has changed. It is now not the case that both parents need to be Key Workers. Only one parent need to be a Key Worker.

 

Details of the opening arrangements for next week will be sent out later today or over the weekend.

 

We were able to give the Year 11 children a wonderful send off yesterday with a party, shirt signing, video and slideshow. They were fabulous, a real credit to the school. At the time of writing, Year 13 are in this morning for their leavers’ fancy dress party. There seem to be a lot of Superheroes and Hawaiians in school today.

 

Thank you once again for your ongoing support and many, many, many kind messages.

 

Yours faithfully

 

         

D J Gray

Headteacher