St Paul's Catholic Primary School

Dear Parents/ Carers,

Given the serious health concerns relating to the current Coronavirus outbreak, the Directors and Leaders of Lumen Christi have been closely monitoring government updates and the rapidly changing official advice.

The safety and well-being of our children and families is our primary concern. Any actions or decisions taken will always be with this in mind.

It has therefore been decided that, as of Monday 16^th March 2020, all school visits and activities which result in contact with groups of people outside the immediate school population, will be cancelled.

Unfortunately, this means that the following calendared events here at St Paul’s School next week will not now take place:

• KS2 Bookfest visits to Birmingham Town Hall
• Whole school hymn practice and prayer service
• Whole school Mass at Church

We receive regular updates from the Department for Education and Public Health England.  Our Lumen Christi schools continue to work collectively to ensure that, where possible, events can be rescheduled at a later date.

Our schools will respond quickly to any national blanket closures and we are currently preparing for such an eventuality. These preparations include;

• facilitating online opportunities for home study and continued learning
• collating work packs and Knowledge Organisers to support further study at home
• establishing points of contact for families and staff
• sharing contact details for key staff and agencies to support vulnerable people and families
• identifying practical ways in which to support our families and communities

Pupil attendance and staffing situations are being closely monitored on a daily basis to help inform further decisions. The advice from the DfE is that any absence related to Coronavirus will be given a specific code, meaning that it will not affect your child’s overall attendance. However, you should continue to inform the school of any absence in the usual way.

‘During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbours’

God Bless,

Clare Madden (Catholic Senior Executive Leader)