Letter from the Headteacher – 23rd February 2021

Dear Parents & Carers,

I hope that you and your families are safe and well. I am writing to you following the statements released yesterday by the government regarding the reopening of schools.

Yesterday the Prime Minister made a series of announcements which confirmed the government’s plans for easing lockdown restrictions nationally. The main news for education is that schools will fully reopen from Monday 8^th March. This applies to all students in all year groups.

The other important detail in the announcement is that schools must administer a programme of Covid testing for all students as they return to school. The plan is for each child to receive three tests in school from 8^th March onwards, with a gap of 3-5 days between each test. Schools have been permitted to operate a phased return during the first week of reopening in order to carry out as many of these tests as possible during that time.

Like all schools, we are currently working very hard to finalise plans that would allow us to maximise the number of tests that can be taken each day whilst causing the minimum disruption to learning. It is not possible at this time to inform you of exactly when each year group will be tested but I can confirm that the first week of reopening will be phased, in other words your child will not be attending school full-time between Monday 8^th – Friday 12^th March. They will be invited to attend school on specific days in that week and on the other days they will be provided with five lessons of remote learning to complete at home.

We will contact you again in a few days with confirmation of the days on which your child will be required to attend school in the week beginning 8^th March. All students will attend school full-time from Monday 15^th March onwards.

No student will receive a Covid test in school unless we have received consent from their parent or carer. You will have received a message yesterday with a link to a consent form – please complete this before 11am on Friday 5^th March.

COVID-19 Testing Consent – The Radclyffe School

In addition, the government has stipulated that face coverings must be worn in classrooms as well as communal areas such as corridors. Please ensure that your child is equipped with a suitable face covering when they return to school.

If your child has recently been loaned a laptop by the school, they will be able to continue to use this at home for the remainder of this term. Further details relating to this will be issued before the Easter holiday.

If you have any concerns about your child returning to school, please inform us of these via the email address on the ‘Contact Us’ page of the school website. As outlined above, I will be writing a further letter in the next few days with more details of our reopening plans and how we intend to safely welcome your child back into school.

Yours faithfully,

Mr J Cregg

Headteacher