Dear Parents / carers,

 

Emergency Childcare Provision (22nd March Update)

The school is ready to admit ELIGIBLE PUPILS for Emergency Childcare tomorrow. 

We have received a very large number of requests for childcare, resulting in large numbers of pupils at school every day from Monday. 

I appreciate we are a large school but please can I remind everyone: 

•  every child whose parents are not key workers must remain at home, schools closed Nationally on Friday, 
• for those families with a key worker, your child should only be at school on the days you are at work when no-one else in the household can look after them, 
• if a parent is ‘working at home,’ your child must stay at home with you wherever possible. 

This is the clear guidance from the Government to ensure we prevent the spread of this deadly virus within our communities. It is our responsibility to follow this, particularly when we know how easily this virus spreads. It is much safer for your child, other pupils, staff and your families if your child stays at home with yourselves. 

Everyone at Witton wants to support our key worker families to the best of our ability who have critical roles to fulfill in the COVID-19 pandemic. I have spoken to many families personally and know that you are trying to keep your children at home with you as much as possible, so thank you. However, in order to protect all pupils, staff and families, I have decided to ask all key worker families bringing pupils to school, to email office@witton.worcs.sch.uk with a photo of their ID badge or some form of identification (where possible) evidencing their employment within these sectors and roles. 

 

Arrangements for Monday 

Only children who have had confirmed places will be allowed into school. If you have not had an email confirming a place, and the arrangements for Monday then, regretfully, we cannot accommodate your child. Any pupil arriving unexpectedly will be asked to go home and we will contact parents / carers. 

Eligible pupils with confirmed places, are asked to arrive no earlier than 8.25am. They should wear sports / active clothing so we can undertake physical activities. Children should bring their own snacks and drinks. 

Children in receipt of Free School Meals will be given a hot meal at lunchtime. Other children should bring a packed lunch. Our usual safeguarding arrangements are in place, and we will have the same expectations of pupil behaviour and conduct. 

 

It is essential we have current contact details for parents / carers in the event of your child becoming unwell. 

 

Finally, can I respectfully remind you that we can only continue to offer this provision if our staff stay healthy. It is important to keep pupil numbers low, and for us to review daily our ratios for supervision whilst retaining smaller class sizes and keeping social distancing rules in place. 

If, at any time, we do not have sufficient levels of staffing to maintain the provision safely, then we would have to close the school completely. 

 

Children who are in receipt of Free School Meals, but who are not at school are eligible for food vouchers. Please email office@witton.worcs.sch.uk if you think you should received these. 

 

Additional information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

 

 

Please notify us if your circumstances change. Thank you in advance for working so closely with us, and for your ongoing support.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Suzie Bourne (Headteacher)