Headteacher's update 5

I hope you are all well. Thank you for continuing to check the Weduc app for the work set by your child’s teachers. I continue to receive lots of emails from teachers who are delighted with the standard of work they are being sent by students. I’ve also received lots more photos of the delicious recipes that many of our students are turning their hand to. Please check the Weduc Notices page for information about next week’s exciting bake off!

Thanks also to those parents who continue to take time out of what must be a very difficult balancing act of home-schooling and working from home to continue to message us with praise and constructive feedback. It really means a lot.

 

Easter

Our Easter ‘holiday’ will feel very different this year. In these difficult times I hope you will find an opportunity to relax over the Easter period. You will notice that most teachers will pause the setting of home learning over the next fortnight, as it is their Easter break too. I hope that if your child wishes to continue to occupy themselves with school work over the next two weeks that they will have had enough set in the last week to keep them going. Likewise, I will pause my daily messages until after the Easter break, but will ensure any key messages I receive from the Department for Education or the Local Authority are passed on. I will also ensure arrangements for after Easter are made clear. At present there don’t seem to be any plans to reopen schools imminently. 

 

Free School Meals

The provision of Free School Meals will cease for the duration of the Easter holidays. As stated in yesterday’s message, we are investigating more equitable and practical solutions to the provision of Free School Meals that we hope to be in a position to begin after the Easter break.

 

Message from Gregg Fell

Please find attached here an important letter to all Sheffield parents from Gregg Fell, Sheffield’s Director of Public Health. I would strongly endorse Gregg’s messages regarding keeping your children and others safe during the Coronavirus crisis.

 

Payments for trips

A number of parents have asked whether they are able to pause the payment instalments for forthcoming trips such as the one to Paris. This is completely understandable in the present circumstances - all parents can take the option to pause these payments if they wish to do so.

 

Easter School

School will remain open throughout the Easter holiday for the very small number of parents/carers whose children absolutely require this provision to enable parents/carers to continue their essential ‘key worker’ roles. Thank you to parents and carers for taking note of the advice that at the present time home is the safest place for children.

 

Thank you for your continued support and please take care and stay safe over the next two weeks.

Joe Birkbeck