Dear Parents and Carers,

I am writing in partnership with Light Oaks Junior School regarding the proposed wider re-opening of Primary Schools in early June.  Both schools have remained open to priority groups of children from 20^th March (including over holidays) and all staff have continued to work hard to ensure learning has been available for those in school and for those at home.  I am sure you would like to join us in thanking staff for their dedication and commitment at this time.

Our priority is first and foremost the welfare and safety of your children and the adults in school.  Our already well-considered plans have had to be adapted and developed to include all of the current government guidance which has changed considerably over the last few weeks.  We are having to develop a large number of new policies, risk assessments and plans for re-opening.  These also need to be checked and ratified by the Governing Body, Teaching Unions and the Local Authority. All of these then need to be shared with staff, and they must be given training to ensure that they can implement changes with competence and confidence.  We need to ensure our planning and provision will make our schools safe enough for the prioritised children to return.

Detailed plans and a comprehensive risk assessment will be published on the website as soon as possible for all parents to access.   However, please note that we cannot guarantee a place to all pupils who request it and keep the schools safe as we have a strict limit on the numbers who can be accommodated.  The order of priority is:

1. Children of critical workers, pupils with EHCPs and those who are vulnerable and have a social worker;
2. Nursery & Reception pupils in the Infant School and Year 6 pupils in the Junior School.

We are working towards a phased return for priority pupils from Monday 8^th June, and all parents of pupils who have been allocated a place will be contacted no later than Friday 6^th June with instructions for their return.

These are unprecedented times, and the new circumstances and rules which we are working to will mean that we cannot welcome all of our children back into school at this time.  We appreciate that this will pose challenges for some of you, but we know that you will support our endeavours and appreciate that we will do our best to keep everyone safe whilst welcoming back as many pupils as we can.

Stay safe,

Infant School:

Lisa Thelwell (Headteacher)    Dave Lewis (Chair of Governors)

Junior School:

Zandra Wilkinson (Headteacher)   Sharon Hughes (Chair of Governors)