Dear parents,
I hope that you have had an enjoyable break over the holidays. Following the government announcement on Wednesday 30th December, I am writing to confirm that Angel Oak Academy will only be open to the children of Key Workers and Vulnerable Children from Monday 4th January 2021, defined below. For all other children, the academy will provide remote learning (details are included in this letter).
Vulnerable children and young people
Vulnerable children and young people include those who:
· are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a Child in Need Plan, a Child Protection Plan or who are a Looked After Child;
· have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan;
· have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including Children’s Social Care Services), and who could therefore benefit from continued full-time attendance, this might include:
· children and young people on the edge of receiving support from Children’s Social Care Services;
· adopted children, those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’);
· those living in temporary accommodation, those who are young carers;
· those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study);
· others at the provider and local authority’s discretion.
Critical workers
Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors which include: Health and social care, education and childcare, key public services, local and national government, food and other necessary goods, public safety and national security, transport, utilities, communication and financial services. (Critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
In order to confirm if your child will attend Angel Oak Academy from Monday 4th January, please provide the school with proof of your employment by emailing office@angeloakacademy.org or rosalind.farrelly@stepacademytrust.org. You must confirm your child’s attendance with the school before bringing children on-site on Monday.
All other children should remain at home. The Government is set to review the guidance on 18th January 2021 and I will contact you then with any update.
Please note that the academy Nursery will be closed to all pupils until 18th January. Wrap-around care services will also be temporarily suspended for those children in school.
All children not attending school are required to access remote learning. At Angel Oak Academy, home learning can be found by clicking the ‘Home Learning’ link at angeloakacademy.org. Home learning for Monday is already available.
Class teachers will call families not attending school on Monday 4th January to provide further information.
If your child is eligible for benefits related free school meals, we can prepare a meal for you to collect each day during the closure. To ensure we produce sufficient numbers, whilst minimising wastage, please kindly contact the school office by 9:30am on Monday to confirm if you would like us to prepare a meal for your child, for the week. Meals will be available to collect each school day between 12:00pm and 1:00pm, from the academy.
Thank you for your support.