Update Regarding the School Closure

Dear parents/guardians,

Having finally received clarification and detail from the Department of Education, we are now in a position to update you on the current situation in school. The Education Minister Peter Weir made a statement to the ‘AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR CORONAVIRUS’ dated Wednesday 6 January 2021 in which he said the following,

“All mainstream education providers, including pre-school education settings, primary and post primary schools are required to provide remote learning at home to their pupils rather than face to face teaching in school until the half term break in the middle of February.”

Subsequently, we were left with no other alternative but to close the school for face-to-face teaching as per the Minister’s directive and this has been communicated earlier in the week. The Minister added however that the school MUST provide supervised learning to ‘Vulnerable children and children of key workers.’ In line with this provision we were able to offer limited emergency provision to the pupils who fit either of the two categories above.

Having now had an opportunity as a school to put appropriate arrangements and risk assessments in place, we ask parents to consider the following carefully;

1. Given the dire situation regarding the transmission of CoVid within the BT60 postcode area, we implore parents to exhaust every avenue available to them to keep their children at home where possible.
2. If you have no other alternative but to request supervised learning for your child/children, then the following form MUST BE COMPLETED NO LATER THAN FRIDAY 8^Th JANUARY.
3. Please note that all communication regarding the registration of pupils for supervised learning must be through this form and not through phone calls to the school office.
4. Given the strict social distancing requirements and risk assessments required, we cannot guarantee a place for your child unless this form has been completed fully on time.
5. This is ‘supervised learning’ and not face-to-face teaching. Therefore, pupils will complete the work being set for them by their teachers on the online platforms whilst being supervised in school. And finally,
6. Pupils will not be in their normal classroom but instead be placed in appropriate socially distanced bubbles as per government guidance.

Click this link to access the Registration Form. https://forms.gle/3BwsPLLUUNMQpiSSA

We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Yours,

Mr. N. Smyth