Dear Parent/Carer,
As always, I hope in these difficult times that you and your families are as well as they can be under the circumstances. I am writing today with some further updates during the continuing Coronavirus crisis following the government publishing its latest guidance yesterday evening.
First of all, I would like to reiterate that we remain open, as we have done since the start of the outbreak to all students classed as children of keyworkers or “most vulnerable”. You will no doubt be aware that our attendance has significantly increased in recent weeks, and the government advises that students in these categories are now expected to attend where it is appropriate to do so.
Secondly, you will probably have seen that the government is anticipating that we may be able, from the week commencing June 1st 2020, to welcome more students back to school. The guidance referred to above does add that this is conditional upon the five key tests set by the government justifying the changes at the time, including that the rate of infection is decreasing and that the enabling programmes set out in the so-called “roadmap” to recovery are operating effectively. Further detail from us will follow closer to the above date, but at present it is expected that we will be prioritising face to face support for students in Years 10 and Year 11 to supplement their learning from home, as they are approaching key transition points.
We will of course be using this period of time prior to June 1st to ensure that we complete relevant risk assessments within school and reinforce the range of protective measures we already have in place to ensure school is safe at the present moment. Safety of Edge students, staff and families will of course be the focal point of our planning. You may well be aware that staff and students in all settings will be eligible for testing if they become ill with coronavirus symptoms, as will members of their households.
Finally, it is worth pointing out that the government have asked us to request that the use of public transport for travel to and from school is minimised. We would therefore encourage students to walk or cycle to school where possible, and ask that where this is not possible, that you drive them to school if you can. If you require any assistance with lifts into school, please contact us as we are already collecting small numbers of students in the school minibus to help and support families.
Fuller guidance for parents and carers on the information referred to above is available at:
Frequently asked questions on what you can and can’t do generally at this stage of the coronavirus outbreak have now also been published and can be found at:
If you have any further questions or anxieties regarding this letter, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].
Yours faithfully,
Andrew Wakefield
Principal