The wider reopening of schools to more pupils

Our primary concern, at this time, is to ensure the wellbeing of our staff and pupils. The last few weeks and months have been challenging ones and our schools have responded extremely well to this crisis.

Following recent government announcements, we have considered carefully our own approach to reopening to more pupils. We are eager to see our young people return to schools; however, we are also clear that their return to schools needs to be considered carefully and cautiously.

The government aspiration is for primary schools to start reopening from the 1st June and secondary schools to begin face to face contact with priority year groups from the 15th June. Our Trustees met on the 21st May to review our plans and the individual risk assessments of schools. Government guidance subsequently changed again and there is a further meeting in the first week of June to consider these plans further.

Our primary schools will begin to open to staff from the 1st June. Individual schools will contact parents with the details of the induction that will be in place for pupils during this week. This induction is to ensure that when we do open more fully to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on the 8th June we do so safely. Where children are not being taught in school, we will continue to place an appropriate emphasis on remote learning to ensure that those children not in school can continue to learn.

Secondary schools will start to open to pupils in Year 10 and Year 12 from the 15th June. Again, schools will contact parents and pupils to discuss those arrangements. At secondary school, the emphasis placed on high quality remote leaning will continue in every year group as the offer in place at school will be limited.

Of course, in bringing any young people back into schools we will adhere to government guidance. School sites are being prepared and measures are being taken to apply social distancing where government guidance indicates we should. Travel may be very different for some families and we are working to support parents in this area.

Finally, we fully appreciate that some parents will not wish their children to attend school at this time, and we fully respect this. There will be no penalty for parents choosing to keep their children at home at this time.