Written Statement – Return to school and college arrangements – 4 January 2021 – Final#3

Please see the above statement for information from the Welsh Government about the current proposed date for returning to school.

Dear Parent/ Carer

I hope that you and your families have had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday.

I just wish to briefly summarise the arrangements for next week.

Monday 4th January is an INSET Day during which the staff will be holding a number of meetings.

From Tuesday 5th January, teachers will be providing work for children to complete. If you have any problems accessing this, please email the class teacher in the first instance. If you are unable to do this, please email myself at head.stepaside@pembrokeshire.gov.uk or telephone the school and leave a message and I will get back to you.

From Wednesday 6th January, the school will be providing childcare for children whose parents have been classed as critical workers.

From Monday 11th January, we are expecting the school to fully reopen. The Playgroup will also restart on this date.

I will be in school on Monday 4th January from 8:00 a.m. and will be available to answer any questions that you may have on 01834 812764.

Yours sincerely

Paul Harries

PEMBROKESHIRE SCHOOLS TO RETURN TO FACE TO FACE TEACHING FROM 11TH JANUARY

Pembrokeshire County Council welcomes the statement from the Welsh Government and the WLGA (below) on the start of next term.

Given that Covid-19 transmission levels continue to increase across the local authority, by taking the decision at this stage it is providing families with much needed clarity on the arrangements for the start of the Spring Term.

Pembrokeshire schools will provide distance learning for learners from the start of next term 4th January until 8th January.

Schools that have INSET days planned at the start of the term will be closed and will not be offering learning on those days.

Childcare for critical workers and vulnerable learners will be available on all school sites from Wednesday 6th January, this will include Portfield Special School and the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre. Please contact the school directly regarding this provision.

All schools will return to face to face learning from Monday, 11th January unless a situation occurs where a school is unable to open for significant health and safety reasons.

Where this happens the school and the Council will place notifications on their websites.

WLGA Statement on the return of schools in January

Following extensive discussions a common approach has been agreed by the Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association for the return to school in January.

With transmission levels continuing to increase across Wales, and uncertainty over what impact that might have on school staffing levels over the Christmas break, there will be some flexibility built in at the beginning of term. However, minimising disruption to our children and young people’s education remains a priority and face to face learning should be the default position unless there are clear public health and safety reasons for moving to remote learning.

For most of our learners, the new school term will start on 4th January, although there will be some schools who have planned INSET days in this first week. As schools

assess their staffing levels ahead of, and during, the first week, our expectation is that schools will be providing face to face learning for the majority of their pupils by 11th January, leading to a full return in the days before 18th January at the latest.

Where a school has moved to remote learning because of exceptional and specific local circumstances, local authorities and schools will be expected to make arrangements for vulnerable learners and the children of critical workers (including school staff) to attend, as is the case now.

A WLGA spokesperson said:

“The plan to return to schools in January will give some certainty, whilst also allowing for flexibility to take account of local circumstances.

“Teachers, school staff, learners, and parents and carers’ response has been remarkable throughout this challenging year. It has not been easy, and we thank them for their continued patience and perseverance to help keep our communities safe.

“To help curb the rapid spread of the virus, we must all continue to do all we can to protect ourselves, each other and our communities.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said:

“We all recognise that these are unprecedented times and that we have to be agile in how we respond to the impact the virus has on our communities.

“By agreeing to a flexible approach during the first two weeks of the new school term in January enables our schools to put in place proportionate arrangements which reflect their specific circumstances and is guided by public health and safety considerations.

“We know from our children and young people that they learn best when in the classroom receiving face to face learning so any measures we put in place must look to minimise further disruption to their education.”

For the latest advice and press releases relating to coronavirus, please view: www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus

Please click the link to read the letter from the Director of Education regarding primary schools in Pembrokeshire next week.

Letter to Parents from SRD 11.12.2020

Tenby Time Capsule : Life in the time of the Corona Virus.

I am writing to introduce myself, I am the Member Pioneer for the Co-op, based in Tenby but covering the area around the Kilgetty Co-op as well. My role is to liaise with the community, help where I can to get community projects underway, and to let people know anything that the Co-op is up to that affects us locally.

I am running a Tenby Time Capsule project to gather adult’s and children’s stories, impressions, and creative work done during the time of the Corona virus, in conjunction with Tenby Town Council. It will be stored in the Mayor’s Parlour for 10 years and then re-opened.

I would also like to share some things in the Tenby Observer as they come in, but I will check with people first to make sure they are ok with this.

I would like everyone in Tenby and the surrounding communities to feel able to contribute to this project, from the youngest to the oldest.

Either paper or digital entries are fine, writing or drawings, poetry, stories or accounts of things that happened or just how this year has been. Photographs or even movies, either taken during the year, or of things too big to be put in an archive box (we only have the one) are fine as well.

Please could you ask anyone you know who might like to contribute.

Send paper entries to Tenby Town Council at the De Valence, or digital entries to me at anne.draper@coop.co.uk