Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
21 May 2020
Dear Parents/ Carers
I hope you are all well, and that the general confusion in the media about the next steps for schools is not causing you additional concern. I am going to outline the position for Trust Schools which will hopefully make things clearer for you. As we all know, this is a new situation and one which we anticipate will continue to develop over time; therefore it is essential to continue to work together and continue to communicate well while we move through the next steps.
The most important things are that we keep the pupils and the staff safe by using and following the guidance based on Government information which includes the factors that have been considered through school based risk assessments. In summary our planning must include the following:
As you will be aware from the media, the Government focus appears at the moment to be on primary schools and Year 10s but for special schools we are being encouraged to take a more needs lead approach without specific reference to year groups. Trust Schools will continue to provide the current offer whilst beginning to consult with parents/ carers about any potential extension of the offer in full consideration of the requirements of our pupils.
The consultation regarding any changes to our current offer will begin immediately with a view to being potentially extended from the 8 June whilst ensuring the offer is both safe and sustainable. As I am sure you will appreciate if you are following some of the media reports and government announcements, the process we need to go through in order to plan for any extension to opening is very complicated. I can assure you we are all working very hard to unpick ever changing guidance and risk assess our position.
We know that at this stage we will not be in a position to offer full time placement at school for any pupil for the foreseeable future (unless in exceptional circumstances) due to the limit on places; we need to keep numbers attending school to a minimum in our attempt to support social distancing. I would also highlight this approach could at any time be affected by the latest Government guidance, scientific or health advice.
I would like to be clear on the following guidance:
All schools will continue to provide remote support and online resources to pupils that cannot attend school.
If you are feeling unsure of any information published or need support, please contact your school.
I really appreciate the support you have shown our schools over the past few weeks. I understand how difficult this has been for some. We will continue to work closely with you and work towards getting as many pupils safely into school as possible over the second half of this summer term once all factors outlined have been fully considered.
If you have any questions, comments or wish to discuss any of this with myself or Headteachers, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Your sincerely
Guy Chappell
Executive Director
Special Partnership Trust
Email: gchappell@specialpartnership.org
Dear Parents / Carers
As you will be aware, the scheduled half term holiday is fast approaching and I wanted to write to you to outline the Trust’s plans moving forward. The Schools and Area Resource Bases within the Trust will be closed for the half term period (25th – 29th May). The Schools will be closed as there is a need to carry out essential health and safety maintenance, including a thorough cleaning of each site. The Schools also need to assess the daily Government announcements and then interpret the guidance as it is published. I hope you can appreciate that much of the Covid-19 guidance we receive from the Department for Education has a focus on mainstream primary and secondary education, and it does take some time for the Local Authority and ourselves to interpret the guidance for SEN Schools and seek clarity where necessary.
Staff from each School will be in touch as usual next week, if you need to discuss provision or have any questions or queries please don’t hesitate to ask.
Trust Schools and Area Resource Bases will open after half term and we are currently in discussion with the Local Authority and the Department for Education to plan how the offer currently provided can be extended in a safe, sustainable way to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff. Schools will communicate plans for provision after half term as soon as possible.
I would like to add that whilst the Department for Education is not providing funding for the free school meal voucher scheme during half term, the Trust has decided to continue to support the scheme for the half term week.
It is clear that a return to normal school life for the majority of pupils is still a considerable way off. This means that pupil support, remote learning and pastoral care will remain a very high priority in the weeks ahead. I will write with an update about future plans that are noted above in due course.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
Yours sincerely
Guy Chappell
Executive Director
Special Partnership Trust