Coronavirus/ COVID-19 Update: 18 March

 

I am writing to update you on the school’s situation in the current COVID-19 Pandemic. There will be regular updates and we will post these on our school website as well as notifying you by text that an update has been issued to all parents.

 

The current government advice is that ‘No school should close in response to a suspected (or confirmed) COVID-19 case unless directed to do so by Public Health England’. However, if necessary and due to local conditions, headteachers may have to make arrangements for partial opening or total closure outside of the PHE advice.

If the situation arises where children cannot attend school, we will notify you immediately by text.  This will only happen if we’re either officially advised to do so or we don’t have enough staff to run the school safely.

We are sending out this information to help the school community prepare. There are no immediate plans to close, but the situation is changing very quickly.

However as a result of the latest government’s guidance on self-isolation and their guidance on social distancing, we find ourselves unable to fully staff the school.

The school remains open but the following arrangements are in place:

Due to staffing shortages I have no option but to ask Year 4 to remain at home on Thursday 19^th and Friday 20^th March.

I am asking any parents who work in the NHS; care services for the elderly and vulnerable; the emergency and other essential services and local authority services to let us know if this arrangement causes childcare issues, so that we can consider how we might continue to offer as much time as possible to your children. Please let us know by emailing the school on admin@athelney.lewisham.sch.uk and stating your employer and role.

 

I would like to reassure you that we will be authorising any Coronavirus related absences, please keep the school office updated on your family’s health so that we can monitor the situation for those still onsite.

I appreciate this will cause significant disruption but at this moment in time and with the information I have from staff and parents this is the best way we can operate safely for our pupils and staff. I will keep you updated about arrangements going forward, but please check our website regularly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please be assured that the safety of pupils, staff and the school community remain our priority and we are happy to be of assistance where we can.

 

We ask that parents follow the current and latest advice being given by the government agencies. Please see the attached guidance.

 

Yours

 

Kathryn Wong

 

Executive Headteacher