Dear Parents and Carers
I just want to write to you regarding the Coronavirus outbreak and give you an update on our contingency plans should the decision be made by the authorities to close schools up and down the country for a period of time.
In terms of the current situation, we have been proactive in educating our pupils about the ways to protect themselves by following the advice about the need to wash hands through the course of the day. I am sure you are reinforcing all those messages at home, but I do encourage everyone to keep up to date with all the latest guidance. Please see the link below to the government website which gives advice on how to protect yourself or what to do if you need medical help. There are also links to show you the advice we are getting as a school and the current travel advice.
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
However, there is a need for us to be proactive in preparing a contingency plan, should there be a decision by the government to close schools nationally. We are currently developing an infrastructure which will allow staff to set work and pupils to access that work at home if there is a closure. The platform for this will be ‘Google Classroom’ an online virtual learning facility.
Early next week your child will receive a list of codes and a log in to the Google Classroom site. Pupils can also access Google Classroom via the app which can be downloaded free and used on smart phones and tablets. Once they are logged in they will be able to access the materials specifically set by their current class teacher. When we get to that point, you will be able, through the ParentMail system, to make enquiries to our technical support team who will get back to you through the day if there are any issues. The materials will be ready for the day your child has their time-table, eg. if they have History on a Wednesday, the materials will be ready by end of play on the Tuesday. Hopefully that all makes sense. More details will follow via ParentMail.
Obviously, we are in the hands of those who advise us on a daily basis as to what our course of action should be and I will keep you updated if there is any news that impacts in any way. Thank you for your support.
Mr S Rylance
Head Teacher