Parent letter- 7th January 2021

7 th January 2021
Dear Parents/ Carers
I want to start by thanking you all for the patience and understanding you have shown to your school and
the support that you are providing to your children. We all know that this is a challenging situation, but by
supporting each other we can overcome this challenge.
It very clear that this lockdown is very different to lockdown one, in that education and effective learning is
still to happen as if the school was open, the change being the location of the learning. The quality and
expectations for learning, will be the same whether your child attends school physically or accesses
learning remotely. This is quite a different message from March and therefore I understand that this may
have caused confusion. As schools and as a trust we are absolutely committed to supporting your child’s
learning and appreciate your support in ensuring that all children receive the learning they should. We
have worked with all schools to ensure that clear expectations for learning are in place and these will be
communicated to you by your school shortly.
That is not to say that the task we face as schools is not challenging. So, whilst our schools will work
tirelessly to support you all, we know we will need to continually learn and reflect. We have moved quickly
to deliver provision to all children this week, but over the coming days and weeks this provision will
inevitably evolve and develop. We ask that you work with your school to support these changes.
We will be back in contact next Tuesday morning, to take bookings for those who wish to physically attend
school for the following two weeks. For families identified as vulnerable by the school, there is an
expectation for you to attend and your school will be in contact to support you to do this. For children of
critical worker parents and carers, we are committed to support those that really require to physically
attend school. It is however clear that government believes that to prevent the spread of the virus the
more families that can stay at home, the better. We therefore ask that before you book your place for the
next two weeks, you carefully consider if there is any option for you to keep your child at home and learn
remotely.

Thankyou again for all of your support. We know that supporting your children to learn remotely is not
easy, however it is essential that we do not let this situation negatively impact our children. Our schools
and school staff are committed to ensure that nothing stands in the way of your children’s learning. If at
any time this is difficult, please do contact your school and I know they will be available to help.
Best wishes and stay safe,
Chris Wheatley Chief Executive Officer