Dear Parents, Carers and Parishioners,

I have greatly appreciated the care that many of you took to acknowledge the work undertaken by the school during this time. Many of you expressed your appreciation for the way that we have sought to keep you updated over the recent weeks. Additionally, in large numbers, you expressed your appreciation for the work that the staff have been doing to provide learning remotely, through the Microsoft teams. It is very clear to me, from reading your emails, that you appreciate the difficult decisions that we are tasked with making in schools, and I value the insights that you have taken the time to share with me.

 To date, 81 parents have responded indicating that 44 children are likely to be in school if they have the option to do so, during the next half of the summer term, recognising that some year groups will be prioritised first. However, you have made clear, as I would have predicted that you have questions regarding what the provision will look like, before you are able to give a definitive answer.

 What I cannot know at this point, is what those of you are thinking who have not yet responded. My guess is that you have not responded because for the moment you feel very cautious given the headlines in the daily national news, and you would like to understand more at a national level, before feeling able to say either way, and I can understand that.

 Given what I know from staff so far and what we are learning from the experience of others, I suspect next half term, we may have a small independent class for each of Nursery, Reception and Year 1. I say ‘independent’ because for each class, if they go ahead, the children will enter through a designated entrance, they will stay as a group all day with their lunch being brought to them and having playtimes together in their own defined space, and then they will leave the way they came in.

 Each of these classes will not mix with each other and will not mix with the rest of the on site provision. Else where in the school, to begin with, it is likely that we will maintain the existing Key Worker Provision for other year groups. Children will be with staff they are familiar with but not necessarily the teacher or teaching assistant they had before the closure.

 There will be stringent health and safety measures in place and the children will be outdoors as much as possible. Significant numbers of staff will continue to work from home to continue to provide the learning remotely, and that learning will be accessed both by children at home and on the school site. Although, I must stress, this is me sharing my very early thinking and this more than likely will be subject to change.

From a practical level , I can only provide you with detailed answers to the questions raised in terms of the provision if I have an accurate number of children to make arrangements for, therefore as of today, this is my further thinking of how the next few weeks will need to work if we are going to be able to bring more children back onto the school site: 

Next steps

1. I ask that you please get back to me by midday on Monday 18th May if you haven’t already, to give me an indication of your thinking—’likely/unlikely’ given how you feel now using the contacts listed in the original letter knowing this is non binding and just indicative.

2. On Monday, the leadership of the school and I will undertake detailed thinking given the likely proportions of children who want to return to school and that will be shared with governors in an EGM on Monday evening. Governors will either approve those plans or suggest alternatives knowing they are all subject to national announcements.

3. In the newsletter next Friday, I will share with you what the provision here is likely to look like based on the thinking at that time recognising this is all subject to national developments.

4. On Friday 28th May (during half term), the government will announce whether they think it is possible for schools to go ahead and open to increasing numbers of children. This will be informed by the response of our unions representing the teach-ing profession as to whether they think it is safe for us to do so. The union response will have a significant impact on any final arrangements that we are able to make for St. Luke’s.

5. For the week beginning Monday 01 June, we will maintain the current provision for Key Worker and Vulnerable children only to allow for proper further considered and careful planning following the announcement on 28th May.

6. By Midday on Tuesday 02 June, you will be asked to confirm whether you want a place for your child in the priority year groups starting from the following week, or not, if the decision on 28th May is in favour of opening to more children.  I must emphasise that we will only be able to have children on site who have requested by that date to be there because of the seriousness of this situation and the considered thinking that we must  be enabled to do for each and every one of our staff and children.

7. From Monday 8th June, subject to requesting a place and earlier national announcements, children from the priority year groups may then return to school. Each fortnight between then and the end of term, parents will then be able to reconsider their decision, request a place if they want to, and we will then risk assess and confirm either way. (Clearly this does not jeopardise your child’s place at our school, but we are distinguishing who would like to be on site and who will be staying at home so that we can properly plan for that during these unprecedented times)

8. Furthermore, risk assessment dependent, and in line with announcements nationally, we may then undergo a similar process for other year groups.

 As said, this is my early thinking and I am sorry that I cannot be any more specific at this stage. As the thinking evolves I promise to keep you informed. If you are under pressure to return to work from the 01 June, but you have not yet accessed the provision on site, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me and we’ll seek to make provision for you along with the other children already here.

As always, please do not hesitate in getting in touch with me if you would like to discuss any of this or you need any support.

Best wishes, Rebecca Abrahams, Headteacher, St Luke's Church of England Primary School