Dear Parents and Carers,

Today the government has published detailed guidance for schools, with the requirement that all pupils return to school from the beginning of the autumn term. Attendance will no longer be optional, and children will be expected to resume full-time learning in school as long as they are fit and healthy.

We will now be considering this carefully with governors and staff, consulting with the local authority, our health and safety providers, staff unions, and with other local schools. We will be revisiting our risk assessments, and planning how the national requirements can be met in our own setting, with the continued priority of ensuring the safety of all of our children, staff and families.

We will keep the children at the centre of our plans and it is essential that we are all mindful of the children’s well-being. This will be an anxious time for the children and we will shape our plans to support them. This may mean, (for example), the children working with familiar staff on day one, or phasing the children’s return in the first few days, so that they can be properly supported and safely trained in the new and unfamiliar routines.

We need to ensure that our plans are workable, and as thorough as possible from the start, so they will need time to be prepared properly. Following our consultations, we aim to get a draft plan to you by the end of next week (Friday 10th July).

Finally, some good news to share is that according to the gov.uk website there have been NO new cases of COVID-19 in Eden since last Thursday 25th June.

Thank you for all your support and understanding over the past few months. Yours sincerely,

Mike Pincombe Headteacher