School Closure 5 January 2021
4 January 2021
Dear Parents/Carers
This evening the Prime Minister announced that the UK’s coronavirus alert level has increased due to the speed with which the new variant of the virus is spreading and is now at five, the highest level, which means that there is a risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed. A new national lockdown will be in place from 6th January. The Government instruction is to stay at home while vaccines are rolled out.
This means there will not be a full return to school for all primary children as we had expected: all Primary and Secondary schools and colleges will be closed.
From Tuesday 5th January, Uphill Village Academy will be open only for the children of critical workers and those classed as vulnerable to attend on site. We will provide remote learning to be completed at home for all other children and will provide full details on this as soon as possible.
Critical workers:
The definition of critical workers is provided at the end of this letter. We are already aware of many of our critical workers, however, this may have changed over the last few months. To request for your child to attend school because you are a critical worker and will be going to work during this lockdown period please complete this form https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ViObpySMIkm0IMbibQtAkai48FjyYGJFlfWOM5wVI8NUQUw5SEtYV0pERU5OOEREQ09SRE4yNFY0NS4u
We will be providing further information during the course of tomorrow and would ask parents/carers to contact us at [email protected] with any immediate concerns.
With Kind Regards
Samantha Hodder
Principal
Current Government definition of ‘Critical Workers’
Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below.
Health and social care
Doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, other frontline health and social care staff, those working in health and social care supply chain
Education and childcare
Childcare, support and teaching staff, social workers, specialist education professionals
Key public services
Justice system, religious staff, charity workers, those responsible for managing deceased, public service broadcasters
Local and national government
Administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of Covid-19 response and delivery of EU transition, essential public services
Food and other necessary goods
Those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery, and provision of other key goods e.g. hygiene, medicine
Public safety and national security
Police and police support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel, fire and rescue service employees, National Crime Agency staff, border security, prison and probation staff
Transport and border
Those who keep air, water, road, rail passenger and freight transport modes and supply chains operational
Utilities, communication and financial services
Essential financial service staff, oil, gas, electricity, water sectors, IT and data sector and primary industry supplies to Covid-19 response, civil nuclear, chemical, telecoms staff, postal services and delivery, payment providers, waste disposal sectors.
For further information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision
