Dear Parents,
As of today we have around a third of the children not in school and we have ten teachers/teaching assistants who are absent or self-isolating for a variety of reasons. We do not have any confirmed cases of Coronavirus in any of our pupils or staff and it is highly unlikely that we will find out if there are as there is no longer routine testing.
As of lunchtime today we know that schools in Wales and Scotland will shut from Friday and it is likely that England will make the same decision.
While we wait to hear, from Thursday 19th March up until Easter the following will be in place:
School will remain open unless we are told to close by The Government, or we are unable to staff the school safely.
- Any child or family member who has any symptoms must self-isolate the whole household for at least 14 days and follow the current guidance that is in place.
- Any parent who is worried about sending their child to school for any reason related to the coronavirus may now keep their child off school up until Easter.
- For all pupil absence you no longer need to contact school to inform us your child is absent, we will assume you are self-isolating and your child’s attendance will not be affected by this.
We want to do all that we can to alleviate some of the worries you may have regarding school and the virus.
The reasons for keeping school open are:
- To support those children and families who are well to maintain a sense or normality and routine
- To support those parents who need to continue to work, and reduce any possibly financial hardship that might occur if school was closed
- To ensure those parents who are working in key roles such as Nurses, Doctors, Teachers, Health Care workers can continue to support the community.
Class Dojo will be the main route of information and for teachers to set work, so please ensure you are connected and seek support if you are not.
This is obviously a fast-moving situation and our approach may need to change at any point.
We will keep you regularly updated, including over the Easter holidays, about any changes including the provision for the Summer Term.
If you have any concerns regarding your child while they are off, please use the following contact details:
Trevina Edwards (Family Support Worker) for any family support needed:
t.edwards@colebourne.bham.sch.uk
Sue Smart (Assistant Head Teacher – Inclusion and Safeguarding) – for any concerns regarding special educational needs and disabilities (SEND):
s.smart@colebourne.bham.sch.uk or 07801 896 259 (work mobile)
Stuart Guest (Head Teacher) – for any general concerns or questions regarding school:
s.guest@colebourne.bham.sch.uk
Lara Flint (Assistant Head Teacher – Curriculum and Assessment) – for any questions about home learning, curriculum or assessment
l.flint@colebourne.bham.sch.uk
Or use Class Dojo to contact the class teacher for non-urgent matters as these messages may not be picked up regularly at this time.
Please get in touch if you have any questions.
Warmest wishes,
Mr. Guest