Returning to school from 8 March

Dear Parents and Carers,

As Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CHAT Academies, the Trust that runs our family of 5 schools, I wanted to write and thank you for your incredible efforts in working with us since the outbreak of coronavirus. We hope to be able to re-open our schools from Monday, 8 March and are actively putting in place plans to make this happen.

We understand the enormous challenges you have faced and the responsibilities you have taken on with home learning for almost a year.

Many of our parents are also critical workers and have done an amazing job supporting all of us with the essential services they provide.

If any good has come from this national crisis, it is the strengthened ties and partnership we now have with our families.

We will keep you fully informed of plans for the safe re-opening of the schools.

Message from our Trustees

Dr Donald Graham, the Chair of our Board of Trustees, which has oversight of all our schools, has also asked me to pass onto you the following message:

“Our families have done everything asked of them, showing great courage, stamina and resilience. We are all in awe of how you have coped and the love and care you show for your children.”  

“Everyone has pulled together for the benefit of pupils and students, going above and beyond.”

“I can promise you that Trustees will make sure the schools have everything they need moving forward so that our schools will emerge even stronger in the future.”

Last week we launched our biggest ever consultation with parents

Last year over 900 of you completed our survey to help us improve on how we provide home learning to the children.

Your views were so important in making changes to home learning. This survey includes, for the first time, questions for children to answer.

We now need your help again to make further improvements so that we can support you better and make home learning as effective as possible.

The welcome news that schools could begin re-opening from 8th March does not mean that home learning won’t need to continue, for example if there is an infection in a class or year group.

Complete the survey and help us improve

For Cuckoo, Woodpecker, Kingfisher and Enfield Heights your survey is here.

The Heron Hall survey is here.

Our promise to you on learning from home

So that pupils and their parents know what to expect from the school if they need to self-isolate, or where national or local restrictions require them to remain at home, we have published information about our remote education provision on each of our school websites.

You can view this information by going to the menu called ‘Learning’ and clicking on ‘Blended learning.’

Challenges ahead – Our number one priority

No one doubts that there are enormous challenges ahead to get all of the children to where they should be academically after what will be a year of being in and out of school.

I meet with the headteachers weekly and we regularly discuss how we are going to achieve this. All the schools already have plans in place to begin that journey.

Alongside the well-being of children, this is going to be our number one priority in the coming twelve months.

Hardship fund available

We established a small fund to help families where we are able to, as part of a package of measures, to try to offer you extra help at this difficult time.

If you are experiencing financial hardship and would like to see if we could help, please contact us via [email protected]

Community Outreach team is also here to help

We are one of the few trusts that has a dedicated Outreach team to support our families. Please don’t hesitate to contact them [email protected]

Thank you

Finally, a thank you as over 350 of you recently sent wonderful messages of support to our teachers, which really overwhelmed us. It has given such a boost to everyone.

Yours faithfully,

 
Marino Charalambous
Chief Executive Officer