Dear All
There has been an announcement this morning from Welsh Government about the arrangements for the start of the spring term. The Minister has stated that there will two planning days for all schools at the start of the new term.
Therefore, at St Cenydd, Tuesday 4 January and Wednesday 5 January 2022 will be planning days for all staff. The spring term will start for pupils on Thursday 6 January 2022 when they will return to school site and teaching will resume.
The purpose of the two planning days is to allow schools time to assess available staffing and make any necessary changes to our site and how we operate in light of the changing public health situation.
We have been strongly advised to plan our mitigations at the ‘very high’ risk level in our risk assessment. This will include wearing face coverings being strongly encouraged on school site for all, Lateral Flow Testing will continue and will now be three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and reintroducing staggered start and finish times. Booster dose vaccination of all staff and eligible pupils remains a key mitigation.
On Wednesday 5 January 2022 we will operate a Hub for vulnerable learners and the children of critical workers. However, in the first instance, Welsh Government have stated that parents should explore all alternative options and only request this provision if it is necessary. I will share with you once known the arrangements for accessing this provision on this day.
This is a quickly developing situation, as the risk and impact of Omicron is felt. School will operate differently in the spring term to how we are operating now. I will be in contact with you by midday on Wednesday 5 January 2022 at the latest with details of our arrangements for the spring term. There are still many unknowns but we do know, however we operate in the new term, it will be safe, we will prioritise wellbeing, and we will provide the best education and support we can for the children of our school.
Thank you
Miss Collins
