Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope you are well and coping with remote learning. If you have any issues please email your child’s teacher and they will be happy to support you.

I appreciate that it is a difficult and stressful time for parents/carers and children and we will do everything that we can to help you during this time.

School Places

Currently we are inundated with requests for school places. Once again I would like to clarify the allocation of places and the restraints that schools are facing.

Due to the number of staff that we have available and to ensure the health and safety of both children and staff, each of the teaching bubbles has a maximum number that we can accommodate. In total the maximum number of places that we can offer each day is 35, split into three Key Stage bubbles. Over a week we have 38 children in attendance and a waiting list for places in each bubble.

Please do not contact the school for places as we are full. There is no need to contact the school if you are on the waiting list as we will contact you as soon as a place becomes available.

Critical Workers

The Government list of critical workers is now extensive. Unfortunately because of the number of children that we can safely have in school, being on the critical worker list does not guarantee a school place.

All Critical Worker places have now been allocated and each of the teaching ‘bubbles’ are at the maximum capacity. The capacity has been calculated following a risk assessment to ensure safe staffing levels, social distancing and the schools ability to also provide quality remote learning to those children at home.

Once again I apologise if you have been unsuccessful in your request for a place but due to the high demand we had to prioritise places where both parents are Critical Workers, unable to work from home and have no other childcare options. Some of our teaching staff have been refused Critical Worker places for their own children as most schools have used the same criteria to prioritise places.

Due to staff shielding and illness, we only have two teachers available in each Key Stage who alternate between teaching in school and also providing remote learning for their own class. To increase the number or size of ‘bubbles’ would significantly impact on the schools ability to provide quality remote learning and an increase in the number of children and staff in school will raise the risk of infection for staff, children and their families.

Vulnerable Children

A number of parents have contacted school to request places as they believe that their child should be classed as vulnerable. I appreciate that parents/carers have genuine concerns about their child’s education and general wellbeing. However, the criteria to be classed as a vulnerable child are: 

• assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities such as social care services.

Therefore, unfortunately, struggling to engage your child with home learning, being unable to deal with your child’s behaviour or general childcare issues does not meet the criteria for a vulnerable child place alone.

Please do not contact the school for vulnerable child places as we have allocated available places to those children who meet the criteria and are most in need.

However, if you have concerns about your child’s education or behaviour please email your child’s class teacher and they will be able to give advice and support.

If you have safeguarding concerns please visit our website for valuable information and signposting to other services.

If you feel you have serious concerns and may require school to refer your family to other services such as social care, please contact the school and one of our Safeguarding Leads will be available to discuss this with you.

Thank you for your continued support,

Miss Withey

Head teacher