St Paul's Catholic Primary School

Friday 20th March 2020

COVID-19: AN UPDATE
If you are a key worker and you WILL need school to provide childcare from next week, please contact the office immediately by phone: (0121) 464 1546 or via email: enquiry@stpaulrc.bham.sch.uk. We will need your job title and the days you work. This is to enable us to ensure appropriate staff and catering from Monday.
Dear Parents and Carers,
In response to government’s decision to close schools from Monday 23rd March the Leaders of Lumen Christi have been working relentlessly to ensure that we can continue to provide a safe and supportive environment for your children. We now have confirmation of the list of ‘Key workers’ as defined by the government this morning.
It should be remembered that this move by the government is in the context of social distancing and in an effort to minimise the spread of COVID-19. The government has said that “many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home”, and that “every child who can be safely cared for at home, should be”. Therefore, if you are a key worker but you can provide appropriate and safe care at home, please do so.
The key workers are those within the fields, listed here and in the links below, needed to maintain critical services to the wider community at this difficult time.
• Health and social care
• Education and childcare
• Key public services
• Local and national government
• Food and other necessary goods
• Public safety and national security
• Transport
• Utilities, communication and financial services
Once we have established how many children we will have in school on Monday we will continue to monitor staff levels and make every attempt to continue to remain open as long as instructed to do so. As stated previously, should your child develop symptoms whilst in school, it will be necessary to send them home immediately.
In order to support us please follow these principles set out by the government:
1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.

4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.

Please note that if in school, your child will not be following their usual timetable or curriculum. They will however be directed and supported in meaningful study activities. Children should wear their full school uniform and the usual school expectations around behaviour will apply.
Lunch will be available as usual on Monday and Tuesday. Further information beyond that will be sent out as soon as possible. The Universal Free School Meals (free meals for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) has been suspended by the government and therefore lunches and/or meal vouchers will only be available to parents who quality under the Free School Meals system – we have records of who these families are and we will contact them in due course.
Important links with key information are listed below. If you need further clarification or have specific concerns then please contact the school.
God Bless us all

Clare Madden
Lumen Christi Catholic Multi Academy

We now have a list of what the Government has defined as key workers –please see the list at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers?utm_source=3af9bd53-8b24-49d0-92be-34d607ef773a&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate
Government guidance MARCH 19 2020
Closure of educational settings: information for parents and carers

Coronavirus (COVID-19): maintaining educational provision