Term 3
Dear Parent/Carer,
I hope that this letter finds you and your families well and rested after the Christmas break. Thank you for your support throughout the autumn term for your child and our school families in taking action to reduce risks of Covid-19.
We were looking forward to welcoming your child(ren) back to school on Monday 4th January but unfortunately the late announcement by government means that we will be offering remote learning for most of our children during the first two weeks of this term. We did not receive the information about opening before the statement was made by the minister in parliament – so you will appreciate that we are acting as fast as is possible to keep you informed and updated.
Delayed return to on school site education in January 2021
The government has decided that Medway is one of the areas where children in primary schools must remain at home and not return to school on Monday 4th January 2021.
All children should remain at home for the two weeks beginning 4th January 2021 and we will be providing remote learning for your child(ren) during that fortnight. The only exceptions are children of critical workers and vulnerable children.
We will provide at least 3 hours of remote learning per day for your child and you will have a way to contact a teacher should your child need help with their learning. You can contact class teachers via email or telephone the school office.
If you aren’t able to access learning using a device, then please contact the school and we will arrange for paper resources to be delivered to you.
Provision of food to those who qualify for free school meals
If you are a family who are eligible for free school meals and your child is not in school next week, we can arrange a food hamper for you. To order a hamper you must contact the school office by noon on Monday 4th January. Please telephone Mrs Barlow on 01634 844135 to request a hamper. We will let you know when you can collect this from school. If you are isolating because of a positive case in your home please contact the school office and we will arrange for it to be delivered to you.
Children who are vulnerable and children of critical workers
Children of critical workers and vulnerable children can continue to attend school in the week beginning 4th January 2021. Children in this group should arrive at school at 10am on Monday only and then at 8:40 for KS1 pupils and 8:50 for YR pupils on following days. They leave school at the same times as they did in the Autumn term. 3:00 in KS1 and 3:10 for YR.
If you are a family with vulnerable children we will contact you directly to confirm that your child must attend school next week.
If you are a family with critical workers, please contact the school to confirm that your child will be attending school next week. Or email your child's class teacher.
School telephone number: 01634 844135 Mobile 07570661556 or return email
Critical workers are those in the occupations listed below:
Health and social care
This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.
Education and childcare
This includes:
- childcare
- support and teaching staff
- social workers
- specialist education professionals who must remain active during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response to deliver this approach
Key public services
This includes:
- those essential to the running of the justice system
- religious staff
- charities and workers delivering key frontline services
- those responsible for the management of the deceased
- journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting
Local and national government
This only includes:
- those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the coronavirus (COVID-19) response
- or delivering essential public services, such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies
Food and other necessary goods
This includes those involved in food:
- production
- processing
- distribution
- sale and delivery
- as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines)
Public safety and national security
This includes:
- police and support staff
- Ministry of Defence civilians
- contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak)
- fire and rescue service employees (including support staff)
- National Crime Agency staff
- those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas
Transport
This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
Utilities, communication and financial services
This includes:
- staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)
- the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage)
- information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the coronavirus (COVID-19) response
- key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services)
- postal services and delivery
- payments providers
- waste disposal sectors
Updated information
We realise that these are unsettling times and that short notice of changes can cause inconvenience and anxiety. We promise that we will keep you updated via school communications and on the school website as soon as we get more news about the return to full opening.
In the meantime, please do contact us if you have a concern or need more information.
School telephone number: 01634 844135 Mobile 07570661556 or email the school office.
Best wishes, take care and Happy New Year
