WLD Update for Parents & Carers Friday 29th May 2020

Good afternoon,

I hope that you are managing to see something of the sunshine at this very strange and uncertain time.  It has certainly been a half-term unlike any other in my memory!

Schools opening to more students:  Nationally, primary schools are expected to open to more students from Monday (1st June).  The guidance from the Lancashire Director of Public Health is that schools should not open to more students in Lancashire - the full guidance is here https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/coronavirus-updates/schools/advice-to-schools-on-reopening-to-more-pupils/.  Secondary schools received the guidance about increased opening from the government on Bank Holiday Monday (the guidance is here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools). To quote the guidance, the expectation is 

From 15 June, secondary schools are able to offer face-to-face support for a quarter of the year 10 and 12 cohort at any one time. Alongside this the government is asking secondary schools to:

• continue providing full-time provision for vulnerable pupils in all year groups (including year 10 and year 12)
• continue providing full-time provision for children of critical workers in all year groups (including year 10 and year 12)
• provide some face-to-face support to supplement the remote education of year 10 and year 12 pupils, with a clear expectation that remote education will continue to be the predominant form of education delivery for these year groups and that this should be of high quality
• continue to use best endeavours to support all other pupils remaining at home, making use of the available remote education support and ensuring a high quality offer

As you can imagine we are doing a lot of detailed planning on this basis.  The plans will be discussed with all staff early next week and shared with all of you at the end of next week.  Just like the primary schools, this is all subject to Lancashire Public Health advice.  I will continue, as always, to be open and transparent about what is going on - we are working in uncertain times. 

Study for the coming week:  All the information is on the website in the usual place - https://www.waltonledale.lancs.sch.uk/curriculum/what-are-students-learning-now - and attached to the email version of this update.  We have been looking at the engagement of students with their learning at home and it is very important that students are keeping in email contact with their teachers to sort out out any problems that they are having with their study at home.  I appreciate that learning at home is difficult and we are looking at additional ways, going forward, that we can support students and families.

I will be in contact each weekday with updates and information - I believe that it is very important that you know what is going on, even if sometimes the picture is very uncertain!

With best wishes to you and all who you care for.

James Harris

Headteacher