Update for parents and carers: Tuesday 5th January 2021

The country has now entered a second National Lockdown.

It follows a day when the UK’s chief medical officers and NHS England’s medical director made the recommendation that the UK Covid alert level should move up to level five, the highest possible, after warning that they were “not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases”.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all who are unwell with Covid 19. We pray for the families of those who have lost their lives. We pray for our NHS and Social Care workers, who are battling hard to preserve life and to keep us all safe.

All Primary and Secondary Schools are now required to move to remote and home learning for all youngsters accept for those with parents as key workers or children identified by school as benefitting most from attending each day.

It is my understanding that this arrangement will remain in place until after February half-term in the first instance.

We have been informed that Year 11 will not be sitting external examinations in the summer. We await further guidance and what system will being implemented in its place to award children at the end of their Secondary Education.

School will remain fully operational throughout this period of lockdown, with all available staff without the appropriate exemptions, in school and carrying on with essential work to support our school and wider community. Colleagues who can’t be in work through exemption, will be following their full working patterns from home.

Thank you to all who attended school today to collect paper based resources and additional information about how to access online learning. Just over 70% of all materials were collected today. This figure is pleasing at this stage, but not at the 100% return that we are ultimately expecting. If you couldn’t attend today, an additional opportunity is available tomorrow morning (Wednesday 6th) from 9am – 11am, to collect these essential materials from school. Your child will be following the same curriculum as they would be if present in school. Pupils or parents can collect. If for whatever circumstance, work cannot be collected such as your family is isolating, please contact School Reception and we will arrange postage or delivery. It is vitally important that these resources are obtained, in order to ensure that no child at Holy Trinity is left behind academically, socially and emotionally as a result of this latest lockdown.

Additional resources will be updated every two weeks and available for collection. Pupils will be expected to return all completed work for marking and assessment when they return to collect updated materials.

We are delighted with the implementation of our ambition to equip all pupils with their own laptop device to support with remote and home learning. We are closing to achieving this ambition. Please contact school should your child require a device. In addition, we have acquired a number of ‘4G dongles’ that we can provide to families with no internet access other than that provided by a phone, or where internet has an inconsistent connection. Please contact School Reception if you wish to be allocated with a ‘4G dongle’.

We are awaiting clarification on whether families eligible for free school meals will be provided with food vouchers during this next 6 week period. In the meantime, a food parcel / lunch is available for collection from school from 11 – 12 each day. School will provide pupils with at least their full entitlement of a £2.50 school lunch each day.

Mass testing is a huge administrative and logistical task that we are currently planning to ensure its full effectiveness and safety for all. When successful, it will enhance the robust health and safety protocols that are already in school to keep staff and pupils safe. I am delighted with the progress that we have made in this area and am confident that this will be ready to implement as and when required.

As we progress in this new year together, we must be mindful that our continued collaboration and strong working partnership is the only way in which we can overcome the challenges that are faced.

Our school mission has been strengthened during this pandemic, which is to provide all of our pupils with a world class education, to support them in achieving absolutely anything that they set their ambition for. There are ‘no limits’ to what can be achieved in our school.

With a new strain of Covid19 evidenced to be more highly transmissible, we must continue to take all proactive and preventative measures to ensure the safety of all. If your child or any of the household are displaying any of the main symptoms of Covid19, such as a new or continuous cough, a high temperature or fever, a loss or change to taste or smell, you are expected to stay at home, isolate and to seek a test.

Please look out for further information via text message, pupil email, ‘Microsoft Teams’ messages or updates to this website.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mr Crehan