Following on from last night’s/this morning’s email, I am now in a position to update you further with a plan for the next few weeks and to provide the link for booking critical worker provision. The list if those occupations that fall into the critical worker category can be found via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision?utm_source=4%20January%202021%20C19&utm_medium=Daily%20Email%20C19&utm_campaign=DfE%20C19

We will be running the provision from one setting, alternating weekly between Yardley and Denton, to be fair to the families from both schools. This will ensure we can reduce staffing and consolidate learning and expertise. We will be creating 4 ‘bubbles’ based on the groups and staff from existing school arrangements. Our bubbles will therefore be: Early Years, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6. The existing teaching teams from all year groups will share the remote and ‘in school’ teaching to ensure consistency of planning and delivery. Staff availability permitting, for each session, we will ensure there is at least one member of staff from each school who the children will be familiar with. The teaching content for the ‘in school’ provision will be based on the remote learning being prepared for all children and will cover the full curriculum. More information on the precise details of the remote programme and expectations will follow shortly.

We are able to offer a part-time take up of critical worker provision which can be indicated on the link and we are aiming to run wrap round care from 8am until 4.30pm.

As I said in last night’s email, please only use this provision if you really need to. Schools are shut for a serious reason and, to quote the Department of Education:

 “In the face of the rapidly rising numbers of cases across the country and intense pressure on the NHS, we now need to use every lever at our disposal to reduce all contacts outside households wherever possible.”

We have an amazing team of staff who, without exception, are all prepared to come in and support this provision but it will only be viable if we can keep cases amongst staff and children low. In other words, we are here if you need us but only use us when you really have to!

This form to complete is found via the following link :

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=1H5lr2x-AkuoGAJeI3gMRFzzVWRvSMhAmRWujldDFutUQjZCTlo5WTQ0TkFFRDVLSVZPOVM1TDdFUS4u

In the event of us being unable to open due to staff shortages, you will be directed to the local authority who will provide you with an alternative provision.

We will be able to run the provision from Denton tomorrow. Please confirm your requirements as soon as possible and by no later than 3pm today. Please do not send your child into school tomorrow until we have confirmed via email that we have allocated you a place.

Unfortunately, Nursery will not be open other than to vulnerable and critical worker children. Early Years Settings within primary schools are not meant to be open and fall under the primary closure. If you are a critical worker please book a nursery place via the link above.

Well, there is nothing like a bit of notice is there!! I am so sorry we have had to close but will now work to make the closure as productive as possible for all children and to provide you with as much remote learning support as we can.

As I said earlier, we will be ready with remote teaching as soon as possible today. We have a whole staff Zoom meeting at 9.15 and will have something to you by 11 am, if not before. We just need to work out the logistics of who is sending what and get any paper packs/resources ready for anyone who wants them.

We will, of course, be open to Critical Worker and Vulnerable children but would urge you, if at all possible, to keep them off today to give us chance to plan and ensure we have robust ‘bubbles’ that work educationally and logistically. If it is just not possible, because you need to go out to work, then we will be there!

We will send a Critical Worker request form first thing via email. We will get back to you by the end of the day with practical arrangements once we have a clearer idea of numbers. We will be open for all relevant children on Wednesday.

As I said before the first lockdown, please only use this provision if you really have to. The situation with the virus has clearly become very serious. By minimising the number of children in school, we reduce the chances of transmitting the virus in our setting to children and adults, increasing the chances for us to remain open for the duration of the lockdown.

I know you, and our staff, would prefer children to be in school and there will be a very strong temptation to send them to us where at all possible.  We have, however, learnt a huge amount from our remote teaching experience last time and are starting this phase with a much greater understanding of effective methods. We had hardly heard of the word ‘Zoom’ in March last year and it is now part of our daily routines! We are very much ready to pick up where we left off in the summer and our online presence will be visible, strong and supported by all staff, including Teaching Assistants.

We will not be open for Nursery today as we are still awaiting clarification that Nursery settings within a primary school are still open. There is some considerable confusion over this! Again, if you need our support because you absolutely have to go out to work, then we will help you out.

We will contact the parents of vulnerable children directly.