Dear Parents/Carers,

EWPS Update – Wednesday 18^th March @ 2.30

You may have seen that schools in Scotland and Wales are closing from the end of this week. At the time of writing this letter we have not yet been advised what the position for schools in England is and are assuming we may find out from the government briefing later today.

Therefore at the moment EWPS is open from Reception to Year 6 but nursery is closed.

However we do anticipate that at some point this will change. Therefore please see information below about how you will be able to access work for your child.

What will happen about work for children IF the school closes?

As soon as we receive the notice we are closing we will send you a letter with detailed information about how to continue your child’s education during this period and how you can communicate with class teachers to help support this. It is expected that children do complete this work.

In addition to this we recommend that children use the online platforms such as Bugclub, Mathletics and Times Table Rockstars at least every school day to help ensure their basic skills are maintained and developed. Children should also be reading daily and logging this in their home school communication book.

We also have paper copy of work books and work packs ready to distribute to all pupils. In the event of a closure we will contact you with details of how you can collect these. Please note this will be done in the playground and we would request only 1 member of the family attends to collect these.

How do I explain this to my child?

Your children are already aware of the coronavirus as we have completed a lot of work about hygiene in school and obviously they would have seen information in the media at home. To help you continue to reassure your children, explain the need for the school closure and continued good hygiene, we have attached information about how to explain the coronavirus in a child friendly way. It can also be found on our website.

What if I have other questions?

School specific: If you have any questions that are school specific please consult the school office or speak to any staff at the gate.

Medical support:  If you think you or your child may have the symptoms, use NHS 111 online if at all possible before calling 111.

 General Information:

• NHS Coronavirus page -https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
• Public Health Update  https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/
• British Government Public Information page -https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public
• Guidance for educational settings:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19
• Travel advice for those travelling and living overseas:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
•  

DFE COVID-19 (Coronavirus) related to education helpline.

• Phone: 0800 046 8687
• Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
• Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)

I will ensure that I will continue to update you regularly as government guidance unfolds.

Thank you for your continued support in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Sue Ferguson

Headteacher