Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors. 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.
Please, therefore, follow these key principles:
- If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
- If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them, not necessarily at the child’s school.
- Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
- Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors, and you cannot keep your child safe at home, then your children will be prioritised for education provision. We asked you to let us know if your work was critical, and those parents have been offered a reduced provision place for their children, along with those with children with EHCPs, Looked After children, children with social workers and others from vulnerable groups. Reduced provision can be used flexibly: there is no requirement for children to attend every day as long as on the days they are not attending they are being looked after safely at home.
If your work becomes critical to the COVID-19 response or you begin working in one of the critical sectors and you need childcare in the school’s reduced provision because there is no-one at home to look after your child safely, please contact the School Office to give details of your job, including how it is critical. Staff will ask you to confirm your job details in writing; from your work email address if you have one.
Thank you for supporting us to keep Brunswick’s children safe at this difficult time.