As you will be aware, the Government has taken the decision to close schools as from Monday 23 March to all students except the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils.

This means that for the vast majority of students their last day in school will be Friday 20 March. This closure is until further notice.

This decision has been taken on the advice of the medical and scientific experts in order to manage the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The school has been planning extensively for this eventuality so that all our students can continue their education from home. The school has launched its Home Study Hub, link below or can be accessed via our main website: https://sites.google.com/wellingschool-tkat.org/welling-homestudy

On this website there is general content available for all students and specific content available for each year group. On the home page of this website is an enquiry form that parent/carers can fill out if you have any queries regarding the Study Hub. Please do not email teachers directly. The expectation is that students complete work in line with their current timetable. Further information about home study will be sent out at the start of next week.

Welling School will, however, remain open for some specific groups of students:

• Those whose parents are defined as key workers. The cabinet office will release details of what defines a key worker this week, but broadly it includes those employed in the NHS, education, emergency services or elements of the food supply chain.
• Those students who fall into a vulnerable group.
• Those students who have an EHCP.

I would ask that parent/carers who believe they fall into the category of key workers complete this form as soon as possible and no later than 12 noon on Friday 20 March so that we can arrange for your child to continue to attend school.

If your occupation fits in the key worker category to be defined by the Government we will be in contact with you about arrangements for next week.

We will be identifying those students who are in the vulnerable category and will be contacting their parent/carers separately.

We will also be contacting all parent/carers of students who have EHCPs so that we can arrange for their education to continue face-to-face.

Furthermore, we are finalising how we can ensure that students on Free School Meals receive their entitlement to food. I can confirm that starting on Monday 23 March, students eligible for a FSM will be able to pick up a packed lunch from school each day. This arrangement will be in place until the Easter break. Details of this will be sent to parent/carers of those eligible.

Following the government announcement that no external exams will take place this academic year I will be writing separately today to parent/carers of Year 11 and Year 13 students.

We are entering times of further uncertainty, speculation and concern and our responsibility as a school, like yours as a parent/carer, is to give our young people the learning, support and reassurance that they will need in the coming weeks.

We will continue to update parent/carers on a regular basis with important information as we receive it.

We will continue to communicate with you by Parent email and Classcharts but please do regularly check the school’s website;sc http://www.wellinghool-tkat.org/ or Welling School Twitter; https://twitter.com/welling_school.

Thank you for your continued support and for working with us in the weeks ahead.

With very best wishes.

Yours faithfully