School Closure Letter

 

Friday 20^th March 2020

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

Pegasus Primary is closed from 3.05pm today in line with the government directive. We have tried to keep today as happy and normal as possible for those children who could attend. Please be assured that we are not completely vanishing and will maintain on-line administration and communication with you in normal school office hours throughout the enforced closure. If you have any safeguarding concerns during this time, then please email enquiry@pegasusprimary.org.uk. This email will be picked up between 8am and 4pm.We are committed to supporting the national response to the Covid-19 crisis and have to consider the fact that the purpose of the school closure is to reduce the spread of infection.

 

Key workers:

 

The government has asked “parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.” Schools are, therefore, being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children – “children who are vulnerable and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.” If your work is critical to the Covid-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home, then your children will be prioritised for education provision:

 

• Health and social care
• Education and child care
• Key public services
• Local and national government
• Food and other necessary goods
• Public safety and national security
• Transport
• Utilities, communication and financial services

 

Please refer to the government guidelines which we have put on our Pegasus school website and via our twitter handle.

 

Please take note that schools are offering this provision purely in the national interest to reduce the virus spread and this is not merely for ease of personal family arrangements, as many members of staff are putting their own family considerations second. Schools are not obliged to offer this provision. We ask you therefore to follow these key principles:

 

1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
5. Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.

 

Vulnerable Children:

 

This provision also applies to vulnerable children. These are children who are supported by social care, those with safeguarding and welfare needs including Child In Need Plans, those on Child Protection Plans, Looked After Children, young carers, disabled children and those with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The provision will be offered daily but will not adhere to the national curriculum. It will resemble childcare and will be supervised by professional Pegasus Primary staff.

 

On site there will always be a member of the leadership team, a school first aider and a designated safeguarding lead. The childcare provision will be offered initially during normal school hours namely 8.45am to 3.05pm. Eligible children should come to school through the main entrance to be signed in by a member of staff between 8.45am and 9.00am as usual. The children should be collected at 3.05pm via the main reception. Normal school uniform to be worn every day. Children will be provided with a hot school dinner.

 

The breakfast club is available to those keyworkers children.

 

Free School Meals

 

Please see the government guidelines here:

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-set-out-to-support-pupils-eligible-for-free-school-meals

 

For the continued safety of other children and school staff we will continue to observe hygiene rules and children displaying systems of a new persistent cough or high temperature may not attend. Should staffing levels fall below necessary safe provision these arrangements will be reviewed.

 

In addition to the learning packs, activities for children to complete at home are available for you via our school website. These can be found under the home learning section. The website will direct you to year group specific activities and resources set by class teachers and phase leads. These activities will be subject to the capacity of school staff to update and maintain.

 

On behalf of the whole staff thank you for the messages of support and encouragement and recognition that we are in unprecedented circumstances. We will be staying in regular contact but for now best wishes and stay safe.

 

Yours sincerely,