Supporting Children of Key Workers in Primary School

19th Mar 2020

The following is a letter that Principals have been circulating this evening across the country. There remain many unanswered questions that school leaders are currently attempting to find answers for. It will likely be the weekend before we can see where in Ards this can be hosted.

At approximately 5pm this evening, the Minister for Education in Northern Ireland, Peter Weir MLA, made a statement outlining how schools will close from the end of the school day tomorrow, Friday 20thMarch, however, will open with skeleton staff on Monday 23^rd March to support identified Key Workers.

You are receiving this letter as your child’s primary school is represented, by your Principal, on the Newtownards and Comber Area Principals’ Association.

Many Principals on this association have agreed to follow a coordinated response to ensure that we support the children of key workers in a similar way across our schools. Some schools may be in a position to provide more support, depending on the numbers of staff still available to work.

It is vitally important that schools are aware how many children of key workers will be attending school on Monday morning. With this in mind, if you are an identified key worker, please make contact with your child’s primary school by 11am on Friday 20^th March to inform school if your child will be attending. Times that supervision will be required will also be required.

Please contact school via our school app or by phoning the office on 91813827.

Before contacting school, please pay particular attention to the points below. Schools will not be able to operate a ‘normal’ school day. Many of our schools are already operating with a significant reduction in staffing and this will probably continue to get worse over time.

Points to Consider

A list of key workers, issued by the Department of Education is listed overleaf.
It is being clarified if this relates to Only children with BOTH parents working as key workers, and both parents out at work at the same time should consider attending school.

In single parent families, the main carer MUST be a key worker.

If possible, alternative childcare arrangements should be sought before deciding to send your child to school, for example, with other family members, friends etc.

Please try and use schools as a last resort. This is to try and limit the number of children and adults together in a small space in line with recent social distancing guidance.

Initially, schools will not have wraparound services available. Each school’s normal opening and closing time will apply. Eg 9am –2pm, 9am –3pm.

Children attending will be required to wear their school uniform - to be confirmed

Whilst teaching opportunities will be taken where possible, schools will largely be performing childcare duties as not all teachers are currently available to teach specific year groups; teachers are also being expected to provide remote learning at the same time.

We ask that you pay attention to the points outlined above before deciding to send your child to school.

There are currently discussions around how we provide lunch during the closure period for children entitled to Free School Meals. As yet, there is no clear guidance on this but once it arrives, we will be in touch.

It goes without saying, of course, that if your only option is to send your child to school, we will look after them in order to support you in your important role; we thank you for your service to our community.

LIST OF KEY WORKERS AS OUTLINED ON DOCUMENTATION ISSUED TO SCHOOLS ON 19^TH MARCH 2020

Please work with us to ensure that schools operate with the minimum number of children and staff.

Health and Social Care. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector;

Education and childcare. This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response;

Public safety and national security. This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles;

This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response;

Utilities and Communication. This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including sewage) and primary industry supplies, to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in telecommunications, post and delivery, services and waste disposal;

Food and other necessary goods. This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g hygiene, medical etc);

Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response;