Charlton School

Dear Parent/Carer,

Please may I start by offering you my sincere thanks for your ongoing support, both in terms of the work you are doing with our students at home and your many kind words of appreciation to the staff and school for how we have managed these very challenging circumstances.

I am also indebted to the staff, who are not only working tirelessly setting work, rewriting schemes of work in preparation for our return, making safe and well calls, communicating with their classes via email; for many they are also juggling home schooling themselves, my 10 and 13 year old are certainly identifying gaps in my knowledge in certain subjects!

As you may know, we are expecting to hear from the government later today and on Sunday about their wider plans to slowly come out of lockdown.  The parents I have spoken with are always shocked to hear that we do not know anything ourselves in advance of these announcements and that we must react very quickly to implement anything expected of us.

With that in mind, please be patient in awaiting any announcement from school, of action plans in light of any expectation on schools opening from the government.  I am meeting with colleagues from the Learning Community Trust (LCT) on Monday to put plans together in line with any recommendations the government may make.  These plans will allow us to act consistently across all Trust schools. I have been very grateful to be part of the LCT during these unprecedented times, in being able to share the concerns and work together to formulate plans.

A further thank you to our key worker parents who have been able to take time out from their crucial work to be with their own families tomorrow, enabling the school to close for the May Day Bank Holiday.  Please do take time over the long weekend to relax and spend some less pressurised time with each other, remembering and celebrating the 75^th Anniversary of VE day.  

There is absolutely no expectation on my staff to be working over these three days and I extend this expectation to you as home teachers and our students too!

Please continue to follow government guidelines in staying at home until told otherwise, keep safe and well and hopefully we can start to make plans to return to some kind of “normal” soon.

Kind regards,

Mr A McNaughton

Principal