Dear Parents and Carers

I am aware that there have been discussions on Facebook about some of the arrangements we have decided upon for Christmas and I wanted to clarify the reasons behind them.

I have been approached by some families regarding what we will and will not be able to do over the Christmas period. My number one priority is the safety of the whole school community and clearly we need to be extremely cautious about what we allow during this critical period with cases rising nationally.

Christmas Cards

While I understand it is disappointing, we cannot allow the exchanging of Christmas cards. We limit the sharing of all resources in school and have very strict hand washing protocols in place throughout the day. There is a clear risk of spreading infection if children exchange Christmas cards and to eliminate that risk we have chosen to not allow the exchanging of cards. Christmas eCards could be a suitable alternative for this year.

Christmas Presents for staff

I have been approached about whether families could buy staff Christmas presents. It is important to state that none of our staff expect a gift, there is certainly no expectation that they should receive a gift and they do the job because of their commitment to the children. I was asked under what circumstances it would be possible for a member of staff to accept a Christmas gift. Therefore, the only way a member of staff could possibly accept a small gift would be if it was delivered to the front office and appropriately quarantined. 

It is hugely disappointing to not be able to embrace all of the Christmas traditions after such a challenging year for everyone. During this remarkable time, we will do everything we can to make the last weeks of term special and memorable for all of the children, while paying close attention to the risk assessment in place for the safety of the whole school community. 

If you have any questions, I am more than happy to speak to any families on the gate before or after school.

Thank you for your support

Lee Dallinger

Headteacher