Update on School Re-opening

Copy of email from Mr Gray (Whole School - 15/05/2020)

Dear parents and carers,

I would also like to thank the many parents in year groups who took part in the survey this week. It was very clear that the vast majority of you are not yet happy to return your children to school. Your safety fears for your children and families are the same as mine.

This email is to tell you that I am not yet in a position to tell you more about possible re-opening in June. I can say that school is unlikely to re-open in the way that the government announced. This is because we do not have enough classrooms in our buildings to welcome everyone back into the smaller group sizes that the government have asked for.

There have been many problems with trying to come up with a plan for re-opening. Schools do not get advanced warning of government announcements. After the Prime Minister's statement last Sunday, I did not receive any further information until late Monday evening. Since then, the government have changed their guidance every day. This has made it very difficult to come up with a plan. A meeting between government and teacher representatives is expected to happen later today. I am expecting yet more guidance to be sent after that.

After this extra information comes in, we have just five days until half term. This means that I am unlikely to have things in place for everyone by June 1st. I am not worried by this. I will not reopen school to any more children until I am sure that we are set up safely for everyone involved.

I will send updates as soon as I can. Please be assured that myself and my staff are all concerned to make sure that we do not take risks with your family's health and will not rush through a plan just because the government demand it.

Take care of yourselves and keep safe.

Mr Gray
Head of School