St Paul's Catholic Primary School

Wednesday 9 December 2020

Dear Parents/Carers,

Yesterday, schools across the country received a communication from the Department for Education outlining that school staff should be available during the first six days of the Christmas holiday period to assist with Public Health England (PHE) contact tracing which might be necessary following the identification of positive cases related to schools.
PHE stated, ‘This will allow enough time for positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to be identified and confirmed by a test and for relevant contacts in the education setting to be traced’.

The communication goes on to suggest that schools may wish to end the term for pupils, one day early, on Thursday 17th December, which would mean that the last date schools for staff to be available to assist with contact tracing would be Wednesday 23rd December. The DfE insists that this day would be an INSET day for staff which would be made up for pupils later in the year.

As in most schools, Lumen Christi Principals have shared their school calendars and planned all INSET days well in advance of this time. It would certainly not be our practice to change school dates at short notice, understanding as we do the need to support you as parents with ample notice to make any necessary plans and childcare arrangements. This is especially important in what has been such an unpredictable period.

Principals and staff have worked tirelessly over what has been the longest and most challenging of Autumn Terms ever. Schools have had to constantly respond and adapt to different situations, facilitating isolation plans to protect children and staff as well as accommodating remote working and learning when necessary.

There is no denying that all staff are in need of a well-deserved break and I am sure we are all looking forward to our Christmas festivities with as many family members as permitted within the current regulations. However, I would like to confirm that our school will remain open as planned until Friday 18th December.

We have discovered some very innovative ways to enjoy the usual school Christmas activities and believe that it will benefit all children to maintain full attendance and not miss out on any of our advent preparations. It is important for them to continue their learning and share this special time with their friends and teachers who have cared so exceptionally well for them over the last ten months.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you as parents for your support and co-operation and believe that with the best interests of our children, staff and families at heart, we can continue to work together in the hope that the New Year will see an improvement in the national situation and a gradual return to normality.

Yours sincerely,

Nichola Damms                    Clare Madden
Principal Catholic                  Senior Executive Leader, Lumen Christi

Autumn Term ends: Friday 18th December 2020

Spring Term begins: Tuesday 5th January 2021