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4905375-61912500-11430019050Newsletter 8th February 202100Newsletter 8th February 2021Dear Parents/Carers,I hope you and your family are well and, like me, feel as though we are beginning to see the light at the end of a very long tunnel. There was some welcome news on Friday, with Welsh Government announcing the return of foundation phase children to school from the week beginning 22nd February- this is straight after the half-term holiday. My understanding of this decision is as follows:Welsh Government believes it has the “headroom” to make one change to the current lockdown arrangements because the R rate is below 1, meaning, as you know, the rate of transmission is much lower. Hospital admissions are falling and the incidence of the virus within the community is less. The one change they have decided to make is to prioritise a return to school for the youngest pupils because Welsh Government believes that distance learning is harder and less meaningful for Foundation Phase pupils, and that the lack of socialisation with their peers is especially difficult for them. The scientific evidence suggests that, while younger pupils do transmit the virus, they transmit it far less than older pupils, and most cases of transmission from younger pupils take place within the home. We have all worked very hard and made lots of sacrifices in order to see this improvement but, I’m sure we all realise, that we are far from back to normal and that it’s still essential to follow the rules. I need to remind everyone that, although we are very pleased to have our 3-7 year olds back, nothing else has changed. There can be no gathering at the school gates, no shared lifts, no sleepovers (even with children in the same class) and no social events with friends. Continuing to follow the rules will mean that, not only will we keep our onsite community safe, we will also have a speedier return to school for our KS2 children. There will be a staggered start to the return for foundation phase children. On Monday 22nd, Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th February, about one third of each foundation phase class will be in each day. We will confirm which day we’d like your child to attend later this week. (If your child already attends due to critical worker status or other reasons, school will be in touch to confirm days.) On Thursday 25th and Friday 26th , all foundation phase children will be in on both days. We will continue to use the current entry and exit points, and the staggered starts and ends to the day will remain. There will be no breakfast club for the time being. The arrangements for our Key Stage 2 pupils will continue as they are now: distance learning for the majority, with a small number from each class on site each day, if they are children of critical workers or have been identified for another reason by school. I appreciate it may be difficult if you have a child in foundation phase and another in KS2, but we are still required to keep numbers low amongst our junior children. Let’s hope, though, that our 7-11 year olds will soon also be able to return to face-to-face learning. Many thanks for your on-going patience and common sense. Please continue to talk to school and, working together, we will ensure our children continue to learn and thrive despite the challenges.Stay well, Mrs C Rees ................
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