Dear Parent/Carer

We have now received guidelines from the Government regarding who “ key workers” are and guidance on childcare can be found by following this link.   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision.  Advice from the Government is clear that parents/carers should only request provision if there is no alternative childcare available.  This does not include asking anyone in the high risk, over 70 age range to help.

If you are one of these key workers, but either your partner or the child’s parent is working from home or is not a key worker then that parent will be need to provide the childcare for your son/daughter. If you do not work as one of the key workers on the list you will need to provide childcare yourself and they should not be sent in.

Please note that we are only providing childcare between normal school hours to take the burden for parents/carers who are at work. If you are a key worker and are not at work eg you work on a shift pattern or one week on and one week off, you may only send your child into Dene Magna for the times that you are actually at work.  

Vulnerable students including those with EHCPs that we feel need to be in school with us will be contacted today. We are not sure how many places we will be needed to provide so please do not send your son/daughter to school on Monday as normal, if you do not meet the criteria.

As a school, we are trying to help those people who are essential to the daily running of society during this crisis and we appreciate that you are essentially exposing yourselves to risk for the greater good, hence the reason why we are willing to do this.If your child has free school meals they will be provided with a meal and fed in school. Breakfast will be provided for all students attending.

We will update you on our plans over Easter on extending this childcare for key workers as soon as we can.
There will be significant pressure as time moves forward for us all and any child that is sent in on Monday who does not meet the criteria will be sent home.

I apologise that the tone of this letter is more factual than usual but during this crisis, there has to be clarity.
Please note that this provision is for the key workers of Dene Magna students only, parents/carers of students attend other schools should call and discuss their arrangements with them.
If you meet the key worker criteria, have no other provision available to you, and would like to send your son/daughter into school, please click on the link below to let us know your childcare requirements. Please can you also provide evidence from your employer that you are a frontline worker, I apologise that I must ask for this, but you will understand that places will be in high demand.

 

Yours sincerely
Stephen Brady
Headteacher

Click this link to complete the survey: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1vs1R71zD1zDvPoY7CpvoCD4Tarorg4sEmOtXQdgEFhI_yA/viewform?usp=sf_link