Date: 30th June 2020
Dear Parent/Carer
I am grateful your school agreed to remain open for the children of key workers and vulnerable children since lockdown was announced, including throughout the school and bank holidays.
I also appreciate how challenging it has been for many families not being able to send their children to school.
Happily, each week we are seeing more children and young people safely returning to our schools. Schools have been able to take increased numbers due to the well-planned actions they have taken to reduce the risk of infection to children and adults. Headteachers and Governors, with the Council’s support, are regularly reviewing the numbers of children that their school can accommodate. A key strategy to reduce the chance of infection has been to ensure social distancing measures are in place, wherever possible.
As Government guidance on social distancing changes, school leaders will take this into account as they decide on the number of pupils they can safely admit to school. The Government has made it clear that reductions in social distancing should be accompanied by other measures to ensure safety. As it is not practicable for schools to install perspex screens in classrooms or for all children and staff to wear face masks, it is anticipated the majority of schools will continue to retain the 2m social distancing requirements. Where this is the case, schools will not be able to increase their pupil numbers beyond the planning that has already taken place for the Summer term.
Hopefully, we will continue to see Covid-19 cases reduce to the point that, with robust risk assessments, we can welcome all children and young people back into school as soon as school leaders and governors believe it is safe to do so.
Yours sincerely
Steve Horne
Service Director
Education, Schools and Inclusion
Children, Adults & Families
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