Dear Parent/Guardian

Following the Minister of Education’s announcement yesterday evening that the children of parents who are key workers can be supervised in school, I am providing you with the detail of how this will operate in Belfast Model School for Girls.

There will be supervised study areas available from 8.45a.m. – 3.35p.m. each day for those pupils in Years 8 – 10 who are children of parents who are key workers.

Key workers are those who are maintaining essential public services during the Covid-19 response. The definition of key worker will be flexible and dependant on the circumstance and requirements over the course of this critical period. There will be flexibility shown on the definition of key workers to ensure all those who need support receive it. The list is not prescriptive. However, to give some guidance the following outlines the broad categories of what would be defined as a key worker:

• Health and Social Care. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector
• Education and childcare. This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response
• Public safety and national security. This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles
• This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response
• Utilities and Communication. This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including sewage) and primary industry supplies, to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in telecommunications, post and delivery, services and waste disposal
• Food and other necessary goods. This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g. hygiene, medical etc.)
• Other workers essential to delivering key public services
• Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response.  

If possible, alternative childcare arrangements should be sought before deciding to send your child to school.  For example, with other family members or friends.  Please try and use the school facility as a last resort.  This is to try and limit the number of children and adults together in line with recent social distancing guidance.

We will also be providing a limited number of places in supervised study areas for vulnerable children.

If you believe you meet the key worker criteria as set out by the Minister or that your child is vulnerable and would like your child to be considered for a place in the reduced provision we can provide, please inform the General Office by telephone or email today before 3.00pm but by NO LATER than 3.00 p.m. Monday 23^rd March.  This will allow us to plan for school supervision. The provision will be available from 8.45am Monday 23^rd March 2020. You must, however, contact the school office BEFORE you send your child to school on Monday morning.

Obviously, it goes without saying, if your only option is to send your child to school, we will look after them in order to support you in your important role.  Thank you to everyone working in front line services to provide care, treatment and protection for the community.  We appreciate everything that you are doing.

Yours sincerely

Ms Paula Stuart
Principal