I hope that you have enjoyed the Christmas break.

It has been a strange time – the increased rates of Covid-19 across the country, especially in the South East, has led to a number of government announcements. We now prepare to begin 2021 in Tier 4 with the associated added restrictions. In addition, you will have no doubt heard the announcement from Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education with regard to children and students returning to school after the Christmas holidays and the union outcry in response to it.  This has left many people with a feeling of uncertainty and many schools now unable to open for face to face teaching.

Having examined the latest government guidance, updated the risk assessment and spoken with staff, I am happy to be welcoming your children back to school tomorrow. The measures that were in place before the holiday still stand and we have taken further measures - such as decreasing the amount of contact staff can have with each other - to try to maintain the minimal viral spread we have had at Langar. This is only possible with the full support and co-operation of all stakeholders, and we look to you to play your part.

Please ensure you:

* Wear a face covering when coming on to the school site

* Keep a 2m distance from anyone outside of your household utilising our one way system on and off site 

* Do not spend unnecessary time on the school site - if you want a conversation with your child's teacher for example, please make a phone call appointment

* Do not send your child to school with personal belongings - we will not be able to distribute sweets for birthdays or other such items

* Keep tight to our staggered start and end of day timings

*Ensure you keep children off school who display symptoms (following our flow chart as a guide) and communicate test results promptly

*Keep up to date with information we share by downloading the school app and making sure your contact details are correct

The situation seems to changing nationally and locally on an almost daily basis. There may be times when we have to adapt or change our plans swiftly. I thank you in anticipation for your patience with this, and I thank the staff for their dedication and commitment to striving for a sense of purpose and normality for the children of Langar.