Dear Parents and Carers,

Government Ambition for partial reopening of our schools – Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6

I promised to contact you regarding how we were going to take forward the Government’s ambition that some Primary year groups would return to school starting at the earliest from June 1st. We have been doing extensive planning around this and it was our intention to update you fully on what our proposals might be.

As we outlined, any return of pupils to site was wholly dependent on a number of factors:

  1. The Government meeting its own key 5 tests at the next review of the current lockdown on 28th May
  2. Us being able to put in place adequate plans to fulfil the parameters in which we were being asked to provide teaching in school.
  3. Having time to talk to parents about our plans so that we could communicate how what we have planned would work
  4. Approval from the Trust Board of Cumbria Education Trust that all Risk Assessments and other relevant planning were fit for purpose

The first point above, we do not have influence over and we are, like everyone else, waiting to see the outcome of that review to see if any plans could be taken forward and in what timescale. We have plans that are prepared and that we were ready to communicate to you, following the update from the Government.

We have no option but to delay the stage of outlining the plans to yourselves until after half-term. As a school we will not take the step of changing our current provision until we have consulted parents on what that change may be and we are sure it will be compliant with Governmental guidance. I know for some of you this will be frustrating, but I can assure you that we are equally exasperated by the situation.

Once we receive the relevant guidance and have had time to digest it and amend plans if needed, we will communicate with you what these will be.  I can only apologise that this will now not be until the start of the first week back after half term.

For those parents who are Key Workers, you will be contacted separately with the details of the childcare provision that is being offered to you.  If you consider yourself to be a Key Worker and did not complete the questionnaire requesting a place for child care provision, please email admin@hensingham.cumbria.sch.uk and we will be in touch in due course.

I thank you for your continued support and patience.  Please be assured that we are working extremely hard to ensure the safety of your children and our staff.

Yours Sincerely

Faye Eldon

Headteacher