School Closure

St George’s Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy

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     SUDBURY HILL, HARROW, HA1 3SB         TEL: 020 8422 1272             

 EMail: office@stgeorges.harrow.sch.uk

 

Coronavirus: Required Closure

 

 

Friday 1^st January 2021

 

Dear Parents,

Coronavirus Update – School Closure to Most Pupils

We hope you are well and had an enjoyable festive break.

You will have heard the government plans for schools in London next week.  You may be aware that the government announced 49 local authorities where primary schools were asked to move to remote learning for the start of term.  Harrow was not on that list despite all of our neighbouring authorities being included.  I am aware that this has caused some anxiety for parents.  This afternoon we have received communication from Harrow Local Authority advising all primary schools to move to remote learning next week except for provision for our vulnerable and critical worker families.

Therefore, we are making the difficult decision to close the school and Dragons Nursery from TUESDAY 5^TH JANUARY until Monday 18th January; however this will be kept under constant review. We do not make this decision lightly and it has been agreed by the Trust Board.

We will only open for children (as we did back in March 2020) where:

• Both parents/carers are critical workers, namely:
  • Health and social care
  • Education and childcare
  • Key public services
  • Food and other necessary goods
  • Public safety and national security
  • Transport
  • Utilities, communication and financial services
  • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision#critical-workers

 

• Children are identified as vulnerable, namely:
  • Children with an EHCP
  • Children with a social worker
  • Children looked after/ adopted
  • Children in temporary housing and/or no access to the internet or a device for learning at home
  • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision#vulnerable-children-and-young-people

 

We will not be running any breakfast or after school clubs for the next few weeks.

These critical worker children and vulnerable can attend as long as they:

• Do NOT show any COVID symptoms
• Have no one in their household currently with symptoms or has tested positive
• They are not self-isolating following a positive COVID test or have been traced to self isolate

The key symptoms are:

• a high temperature 
• a new, continuous cough 
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste 

 

All other children will learn from home during this period and we will send details via Ping.

If you are key workers or in any of the above categories, and have no alternative but to send your child to school or Nursery, please email the school office or Dragons office to let us know by 1.00pm on Sunday 3^rd January at the latest. Please note that in line with local authority guidance we will be requesting job identification; please email this information, e.g. photo identification.

Office email address: office@stgeorges.harrow.sch.uk

Dragons email address: dragons@stgeorges.harrow.sch.uk

We appreciate your continued patience as we deal with this ever-changing situation. We understand that this latest news will have an impact on you and your family and it’s far from ideal, but we’ll continue to keep in touch with any updates as the situation develops.

And remember: if you or your child feels ill and you want to know what to do next, please use NHS 111 online.

Thank you again for your continued support and very best wishes to you and your families for the New Year. May we all turn to God and pray for a kind and peaceful 2021 and a return to normality.

Yours sincerely,

 

Mrs D Monaghan - Headteacher