Dear

Parents / Carers,

I am writing with an update on the planned wider reopening of school.

It is important that parents are aware that we have remained open throughout the Covid-19 crisis. We have catered for key worker and ‘vulnerable’ children every day, including over the Easter holidays. Staff have also set work to be done at home. Everyone has been working hard. We know you have been too.

We are now confident that we have met all the risk assessment criteria for wider reopening and are therefore able to expand our offer of pupil places. The government have indicated that Junior schools should prioritise pupils from year 6.

However, we have a reduced number of staff available. Of our 12 teachers, only 6 are currently able to work directly with pupils. This is largely because some of our staff are ‘clinically vulnerable’. Also, we can only operate safely, observing social distancing, with maximum class sizes of 10 pupils.

Next week we will have 30 pupils in school who are children of key workers or ‘vulnerable’ children. (Parents of these children know who they are, as most have been coming to school for weeks. Their provision will continue unchanged Monday – Friday, 0900 – 1500. These parents don’t need to do anything. They do not need to email me or make contact with the school.)

This means we have 30 more places for year 6 pupils only.

Unless they are already in school, if you require a place for your year 6 child from 15.6.20 you must email headteacher@cotmanhay-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk even if you have responded to previous surveys.

Pupils will be assigned to groups, who will have staggered start and finish times. In order for us to fully test our health and safety protocols, year 6 pupils entering one of the three new groups next week will only be in school part time – broadly 0930 – 1300, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - depending on the group they are in. We are hopeful that in the weeks following, the school day for these pupils will be longer. However, in line with the Infant School, we will remain closed (except for the key worker/vulnerable pupil classes) every Wednesday for deep cleaning. This is to ensure everyone is as safe as they possibly can be.

We would dearly love to be in a position to bring back more pupils. We miss you all. However, for the reasons indicated, we simply cannot offer any more places than this at the present time.

In the meantime, please continue to work remotely. If you have ordered packs of work, please collect them from the school office. Please continue to read and follow Tom Palmer’s book, set in Cotmanhay, on the school website (Children’s tab).

If visiting school please avoid the beginning and end of the day and note that only one parent is permitted in reception at any one time. Parents should not drive their cars into the car park, in order to preserve pupil safety.

If you have any questions, please email me.

Most of all, stay safe and look after each other. We miss you terribly, but we want you back only when it is safe.

Yours sincerely,

Simon Robinson