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Strandtown Primary School North Rd, Belfast

Important Message from Mrs Hutchinson - Key Workers

19th Mar 2020

Dear Parents

We have received some clarification on the position of schools on Monday.

The first thing I would say is that the ultimate aim remains to keep the number of children in school to an absolute minimum. We have been asked to facilitate pupils in school whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 team who would have otherwise no option but to stay at home. Therefore, this would apply to sole parents and families where both parents are key workers. The following headings have been provided, but more detail will follow here in the coming days.

  • Health and Social Care: doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers and home carers.
  • Education and Childcare: education professionals who remain active during Covid-19 response.
  • Public Safety and National Security: police, fire and rescue, prison.
  • Those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating.
  • Utilities: staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water and key staff in telecommunications, post and waste disposal.
  • Food production and processing and those essential to the provision of key goods (e.g. hygiene, medical).
  • Key national and local government.

If you are in the above category as a sole parent or both parents, we would ask you to email the office. If you work part-time we would state that pupils are only to be in on working days.

As you know we are a large school and already working with a depleted staff. Parents must only use this provision if absolutely necessary. We will have a skeleton staff working in school from Monday.

When in school the pupils will be in Year 4 – Year 7 composite year group classes and facilitated in the completion of activities in their home reading packs. Lunch at this point will be via packed lunch only.

Please note our only understanding of “vulnerable pupils” are those accessing some services such as counselling. More information is to be provided later.

This provision will be based upon supervision of the completion of home learning packs. I want to assure the educational opportunities for all our Strandtown pupils is equal at this time.

Regards

Mrs Hutchinson