Dear Parents
As we move to the next phase out of lockdown and following government advice, I wanted to keep you up to date in as much as I am able to in these uncertain times.
I am very grateful to all our staff who have been continuing to support your children through school hubs, on-line support, learning packs and phone calls to check in to see how you are getting on.
I also wanted to say thank you to all our parents and carers for doing their best to support remote learning during lockdown – we know that this has been a difficult few months for us all.
In line with the current government advice, we are making arrangements for senior staff to start returning to school during this week. Next week, starting Monday 8 June, we are planing for small groups of staff to start to come back into school to plan for the children coming back into schools from Tuesday 11 August. Our school calendar has Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 August as in-service days with pupils returning Thursday 13 August. We are awaiting further government advice to confirm whether we can stay with these arrangements.
A table showing advice for staff is attached to this letter.
We are now working with headteachers to consider how we could phase some in-school learning. It is clear that social or physical distancing will remain as something we should all be practicing in the coming months, this will mean we will have to think differently about how we deliver learning.
We are planning for a blended approach of in-school and learning at home.
This will be very different for all of us and I understand that this temporary way of learning will mean that families need too make adjustments for work and childcare arrangements.
Our in-school learning will be small groups of children coming in for part of the week and learning at home for the rest of the week. Outdoor learning will be used wherever possible. Staff would also provide tasks/activities to be carried out at home and this will be set by teachers while children and young people are at school.
We understand that this would mean some continued disruption for those of you who are working. I apologise for this but I am afraid in order for us to follow physical distancing advice from the government we would be unable to have all children in school at the same time for the time being. Given the different style of buildings and outdoor opportunities across the city, each school will develop their own plan that supports their school community needs as much as possible.
We will be providing childcare for the children of key workers in line with government advice. Parents will have to apply for this. It will not be possible for this to take place in our school buildings so we are working with out of school care providers and other partners to consider how and where this can best be delivered. As our plans develop, we will keep you informed. We will also be appealing to employers to work with their employees to consider flexible working patterns to enable parents to care for their children on the days they are not in school. the advice remains that, where possible, children should be cared for at home when not in school.
Thank you again for all your support. I know this period has been and continues to be challenging for us all.
However, as I said at the very outset of this health crisis, I know you will continue to work with us to ensure that we deliver high quality education to all children and young people in the city.
I will continue to send out more information and updates to our families as our plans are confirmed and try and give as much notice as possible over the summer holidays for going back for the beginning of the new term. The more detailed information about your child’s pattern of schooling will come direct from your school.
If you would like to read the current government guidance on the re-opening of schools you can access them on line at:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-civic-19-re-opening-schools-guide/
https://news.gov.scot/news/safe-return-to-schools-and-nurseries
Yours sincerely
Maureen McKenna
Executive Director of Education
Advice for staff:
w/c 1 Junes 2020
- Schools and nurseries to be cleaned
- Senior leadership teams in schools and nurseries to return through the week to prepare
- Other staff could attend in a voluntary capacity
- Childcare to continue at the hubs
- Risk assessment to be completed
w/c 8 June 2020
- Groups of staff coming in on a planned basis to meet with senior staff to discuss in-school arrangements for June, including support staff
- Groups of nursery staff in on a planned basis to meet with senior staff to discuss in-school arrangements for June
- Children who were attending the hubs to go to their own school
- Planning for August to start
- Planning for transition
w/c 15 June 2020 and w/c 23 June 2020
- Continued planning for August with staff working between school and home
- Planning for potential summer programmes
- Transition visits, where appropriate
