Dear Parent/Carer
As you will be aware, the Deputy First Minister has just announced further details about the nature of provision that will be available to some young people during the period of school closures. I hope this letter will clarify such provision.
Who will our schools and ECCs be open to?
ALL schools and ECCs in East Ayrshire will open on Monday 23rd of March to children and young people whose parents/carers work for the following services:
- NHS- all staff including primary care (pharmacy/dentistry)
- Health and Social Care Staff
- Emergency Services- all staff
- Staff who work in prisons
- East Ayrshire Council employees who have children who attend our schools, please discuss with your eligibility with your manager. This will be in line with roles which are designated as essential.
- Education staff
We will also be providing a service for some of our most vulnerable children identified by professionals in a multi-agency approach.
Please note that the service being provided will not be a continuation of normal educational provision and will also be supported by colleagues from other Council teams such as Vibrant Communities staff.
May I also reinforce that young people with underlying health conditions or who are currently self-isolating should NOT attend such provision, and schools will continue to alert parents/carers to pick up any young people who do exhibit symptoms aligned to COVID-19.
We respectfully ask that other parents/ carers do not send their young people to school, as clearly the measures in place are designed to support critical services and vulnerable young people in addressing this pandemic. If you feel that your job/role meets the criterion but is not listed, please discuss this directly with your child’s school/ ECC.
Young people not attending school/ ECC
All other children and young people will continue to receive educational input via online platforms such as Glow and school and centre staff will be providing updates to you via the school app and other communication tools. We will also be ensuring that schools and ECCs keep in contact with you and your family via regular communications to maintain the already great sense of community and togetherness in our schools and ECCs.
SQA Examination diet
The SQA exam diet for summer 2020 has been cancelled, we are writing to all young people today to support them in this time of acute anxiety and uncertainty, appreciating the amount of work that they have already put into their studies. We are working on continuity of provision for our Senior Phase pupils (S4-6) and secondary schools will contact you directly to notify you of these arrangements around completion of coursework.
For your information, certification of all SQA qualifications will go ahead, and will be based on both predicted attainment, coursework and assessment throughout the year. Certification will NOT be based solely on prelim performance.
Teachers have further work to do on these predictions and this is currently in progress. Schools do not have the final outcomes at this point therefore, and I would therefore ask you not to contact schools for the predictions at this crucial time. They are not yet available.
Hours of opening/ transport / catering provision
All of the children and young people attending our provision can attend their usual school/centre on Monday 23rd of March during normal hours. School transport will be provided in the usual way. If you currently utilise after-school care services then please speak to the provider about this provision. Lunch facilities will continue for the young people who are attending schools/ ECCs. Free School Meals will be provided for all young people who are entitled to these in a way that is yet to be detailed, but will be in local communities.
As you will understand, this is a dynamic and fluid situation and we expect that arrangements will change as the week progresses and we understand better the demand on this service and our own staff capacity.
Going forward it is unlikely that the provision will be available in every schools and centre and we will look to centralise some of this, but we will keep you informed via the apps and our own East Ayrshire website of any such changes.
Safety of our schools and ECCs
All schools and ECCs will be operating the recommended social distancing guidance in both dining and classroom settings and encouraging regular handwashing regimen. Our Facilities teams have already adopted new cleaning regimens and protocols and we have ensured that there are adequate supplies of cleaning products and handwashing products.
We are clearly amidst unprecedented times and I hope that this letter will cover most of the questions that you will have at this time, but we also appreciate that you may have further questions. Can we ask that you direct such enquiries to your individual establishments at this time to allow us to collate and respond to these.
Going forward
As I intimated yesterday, we have no indication as to the duration of these closures, but please know that we are on this journey with you and your families at this time. We have been overwhelmed by the response of our staff in regards to working in new and innovative ways to support our young people in these times.
Can I thank you all for your understanding of these circumstances and for working with us to ensure that our critical services can be supported.
I would encourage you to follow all of the health advice being published, which is available on our website, so that you and your family can stay as safe as possible during this worrisome period.
Kindest Regards
Linda McAulay-Griffiths
Head of Education
Sent To You By East Ayrshire Council
