Dear parents and carers,
I write to you this evening in the hope that this message finds you and all of your families well, whilst also wishing to update on our plans following the Prime Minister’s announcement of yesterday; in particular the plans for the wider re-opening of schools. Speaking on behalf of all my colleagues across the Trust, we are delighted that we shall now be able to see all of our students back in our schools from the week beginning 8 March. Seeing our young people in our classrooms, corridors, halls, studios and sports facilities again, is something that we have all missed hugely now for far too long.
Last night the government issued guidance for the wider re-opening of schools from 8 March. You can see the guidance by following this link https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963541/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf
Although we have been planning as best we could, we will now need to spend some time carefully digesting the contents of the guidance and making sure that we communicate our next steps carefully with you, so that everybody is clear as to what will be happening in our Trust’s schools from Monday, 8 March. Trust senior leaders and the leadership groups in our schools will work methodically over the coming days, with Heads of School communicating plans with you on or before Monday, 1 March. These communications will also include feedback on the voicing we conducted around our remote learning programmes at the end of last term, the ongoing use of Rapid Lateral Flow Tests in schools and the wearing of face masks.
I hope that my message may reassure you as to our planning and the timeline for our communications with you prior to schools opening more widely. As a community, having dealt with COVID for a year now, we shall continue calmly and sensitively with the very best interests of all of our students, families and colleagues in mind.
The road back to normality appears to be slowly, but definitely, edging closer.
With all very best wishes,
Jon Watson
Trust Executive Principal