Letter to Parents/Carers from the Trust

26 June 2020

To all parents/carers at all Ebor Academy Trust schools

Dear Parent/Carer

There have been a number of government announcements this week, some of which are affecting schools, so I thought it appropriate to update you accordingly.

Catch up plan

The government announced a £1billion catch up plan to address the disruption to children’s education during the Covid-19 pandemic, but has not yet published the guidance to deliver this plan, or the amount of money which each school will receive. The additional funding is to be spent across the next school year (September 2020 to July 2021) and we will develop our plans to use it when the guidance comes in.

In common with other schools, we will not be opening at all during the summer holiday. Other activities, not provided by schools, are being set up in various locations and we will pass on any information we receive which may be helpful to you.

Pupil transitions at the end of this school year

We know that parents/carers are rightly concerned about the impact on their children’s progress because they have missed so much time in a formal setting. Schools agree that children should all start school, or move to their next year group, in September 2020 as originally scheduled. We will be working throughout next year to ensure that all pupils are given every chance to catch up.

Places in school for the rest of this term

The government announced on 24 June that there would be a significant relaxation of lockdown arrangements from 4 July, including a reduction in social distancing from 2m in some circumstances. The new guidance makes it clear that the government’s plan is for all students to return to school in September and there is no expectation on schools to welcome back additional children where they do not have capacity to do so. We will, therefore, continue with our arrangements as they exist at present.

We are aware this continues to be a very challenging time for many people. Regrettably, despite our best efforts and even though the situation is easing, we know this remains a period of hardship for some and so please do continue to speak to us to see if there are ways we can help you to allay your concerns.

Yours faithfully

Mrs Gail Brown Chief Executive and Executive Headteacher