Year 10 Parent Reopening Email 08.06.20

Dear Plashet Year 10 Parents/Carers,

The Prime Minister’s announcement regarding the return of students in Year 10 for some face-to-face learning has sparked some strong opinions.

If you have not already read Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz’s letter to Newham residents released on Friday 5th June then please do via this link as it gives updated information regarding the R number in London.

The decision to reopen secondary schools for Year 10 students has presented us with many challenges, all of them related to one key word – safety. That is our absolute priority, and I, as Head Teacher cannot shirk from that responsibility towards your daughters, your families and Plashet staff and their families. Risk can never be eliminated in any situation and now, in the current pandemic, not enough is known about this cruel virus and how it can be controlled to the point that the risk is acceptable for everyone. So if you ask me if Plashet will be safe when it reopens, I cannot guarantee it will be 100% safe. I can say that we have planning in place to reduce the risk as much as possible, based on government and Public Health England’s guidance. School though, will be very different to the last time your daughter was here.

In order to gain your views on whether or not you will send your daughter back to Plashet before the summer break (from Monday 22nd June) please read the overview attached and then fill in this short survey by 5.00pm on 11th June.

Here is the link to the survey – here

The Government has confirmed that parents/carers will not be fined or penalised if they decide not to send their daughter back, and we will of course support you if this is the option you feel is best for your family. Plashet’s online provision will continue to be the predominant form of learning.

If we know that you have a daughter in Year 10 with an underlying health condition we will want to speak to you about this to enable you to make the best decision on how to proceed. Please respond to any phone call you receive from the school.

We also require updated/additional emergency contacts for students during this time. This is in case any of the named contacts we currently hold are not able to collect your daughter in an emergency due to them shielding or health vulnerabilities at this time.

I would like to thank you for your support thus far in helping your daughter learn from home, and hope you will continue with this. I also hope everyone remains well.

Yours faithfully,

Rachel McGowan

Head Teacher
Plashet School