Dear colleagues, 

Hello and welcome to this week’s Heads Up.

This week, it feels like the landscape has changed slightly.  While we have seen increasing numbers of children returning to schools and fewer having to self-isolate after new positive cases in the settings, we have unfortunately seen two incidents of groups of children being sent home to self-isolate after a positive case has been identified on a school bus.

Controlling the virus on a school bus was always going to be a problem but it is not insurmountable.  But, as with our whole approach since lockdown began, how effectively we tackle it needs us all to work together.

Above all, we need the children to follow the rules. Wear a face covering if they can, wash and sanitise their hands and, critically, sit in the same seat every time they travel.  That way, if there is a positive case, it is possible to keep the numbers of children being sent home to a minimum.

That needs a collective effort.  After having missed so much school for so long, and the excitement of getting back and seeing their friends and teachers, it’s difficult for young people to remember and observe the social distancing required. So please assert the importance of good behaviour on the bus and ask parents to do likewise. The children have been amazing with the sacrifices they have made this year but, if they are going to continue to have to make them, let’s try to give them a helping hand.

What’s more, if parents are to be part of this collective effort, we need to make sure we engage with them and keep them involved.  Please use your social media accounts, websites and letters to keep the communication channels open and keep your presence on their feeds regular.

The good news is that we are not seeing a huge spike in numbers of children having to self-isolate. Attendance remains high.  That is down to your hard work and meticulous planning in recent months.  We need to look at it from the perspective that we have a huge proportion of our children in school settings and allow ourselves acknowledgement for that.  It is a very significant achievement and it is absolutely integral to the recovery of our family of schools.

Head Teachers’ Conference

Last week, I flagged up the virtual head teachers’ conference on the 21st October.  We are very pleased to confirm that we will be joined by Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children, part of the National Children’s Bureau and a key figure in the world of SEND education.

Dame Christine is a passionate advocate for SEND children, young people and their families and we are delighted she is able to be our guest speaker.  I hope that as many of you as possible will join us and be inspired by her experience and views.  Further details can be found in this issue under WE3.

Thank you for your continued hard work in the challenging circumstances we face.

My very best wishes for a restful weekend.

Ian Budd

Assistant Director for Education Services