Dear Families,

We now have information about who are considered to be key workers and so are now in a position to begin planning to support these families if we can. This information only became available very late yesterday.

We must not forget that the reason we closed was around keeping our children safe with regards to medical conditions and in line with Public Health England’s guidance. This aim has to remain a priority and the government has said “ Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.” However, we fully understand and want to support the children of key workers whilst keeping everyone safe.

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To help us with this, we need to know who our key worker families are and who needs us to be able to provide some care. Only one parent needs to be a key worker. I am asking that you read this list and then contact us by phone by 2.00pm today.  We will ask for your employer’s name and contact details but it will be your responsibility to confirm with your employer that your specific role is necessary for the continuation of the service you work for and we will require this information.

When we have this information, we can then begin to plan. We may need to discuss with you further if there are concerns around health needs. We will also have to work with transport, catering and the school nurse to ensure we have a service to get your children to us and keep them safe whilst here.

For this reason, we will still be fully closed to all children on Monday and possibly Tuesday.

I hope this makes sense to everyone. We have asked extra staff to man the phones today to take your calls.

Tel no: 01642 770540

KEY WORKERS

Health and social care

This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare

This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

Key public services

This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

Local and national government

This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

Food and other necessary goods

This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

Public safety and national security

This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

Transport

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services

This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.

If your school is closed then please contact your local authority, who will seek to redirect you to a local school in your area that your child, or children, can attend.