Rufford Park Primary School

Dear Parents / Carers,

I hope you are all well and that you are coping with the current lockdown.

I just wanted to make you all aware of the school situation.  We have had a much higher demand for critical worker places in school in comparison to the lockdown in March.  This has made it very difficult to organise our teaching bubbles in school so that everyone can keep themselves safe and so that we have the capacity to provide a quality remote learning package. 

There are greater numbers in school, and I am very concerned that there is an increased risk of the spread of COVID and the new variant.  You will appreciate this increases the chances of pupils and staff contracting and passing on the virus to each other in school.  Staff are anxious about this.  The numbers in school (pupils and staff) are more akin to the numbers we had when we re-opened in June at a time when infection rates were dropping significantly and when the virus was under control.

I am also concerned that the more staff we have in school delivering face to face teaching, the less staff we have available for remote learning provision including supporting families with technical, learning and welfare issues.  We also have some staff who are shielding / self-isolating which affects staff capacity.

I am therefore asking parents / carers who are using critical worker provision to take a moment to review their own situations and to only send pupils to school when they really need to and to use their current childcare / support bubbles where possible.  If parents / carers are at home, wherever possible, children should also be at home.

Our situation at present is that we are unable to take any more pupils in our critical worker bubbles without compromising the health and safety of the pupils and staff in school.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.  I know this is a very difficult time for us all and we will of course continue to work closely with you to ensure that pupils are supported and that everyone is kept safe.

Please also read the letter from Jonathon Pryor (Executive Member for Learning and Skills) and Sal Tariq (Director of Children and Families) which is saved in the News section of the website.

Best wishes

David Cooke 
Headteacher