Combining Provision

Dear parents and carers/Ambassadors,

I hope my message finds you and your family well.

I am writing to inform you that after careful consideration, we have taken the decision to temporarily relocate our provision for the children of key workers and our most vulnerable pupils to a neighbouring E-ACT academy.

Starting from Monday 30th March 2020, our staff and the small number of pupils we currently have in attendance will be relocated to a local E-ACT academy which will operate as a regional hub.

We have decided to temporarily relocate our provision so we can provide our pupils with an even better quality of care in an equally safe, well-staffed academy environment in the local area. The move will also enable us to provide our families with the support they need over a longer, more sustainable period of time.

Keeping our children at home

Notwithstanding all of the above, the single most important action we can all take is to stay at home in order to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Please note that it is not a compulsory requirement to send your child to academy even if you are a key worker, so if children can stay safely at home, they should.

Where is the academy located?

Pathways E-ACT academy is a short distance from Parkwood E-ACT Academy, just 0.7 miles away. The academy details are given below:

Pathways E-ACT Academy
Raisen Hall Road
Sheffield
S5 7NB

www.pathwaysacademy.e-act.org.uk

What does this mean for my child?

Please rest assured that your child will still be supported by my leadership team and teachers from our academy as well as qualified staff from Parkwood E-ACT Academy. The timings of the academy day will remain the same, so all that will change is the location of our provision.

We have carefully considered the pupils currently in attendance, especially those with specific needs, and we know that Pathways Academy’s excellent facilities more than meet all our pupils’ requirements. As an E-ACT academy, Pathways also follow the same stringent safeguarding and welfare processes as we do, and as our academies are part of the same trust, our staff already benefit from having close working relationships with one another.

Please note that we will be keeping our temporary relocation under continuous review.

Providing a sustainable provision

As government measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus increasingly place greater restrictions on our daily lives, and as more and more people are asked to self-isolate, we are sensitive to the growing pressures on our staff and the impact this is having on their wellbeing.

By combining provision with a neighbouring E-ACT academy, we have a much larger pool of experienced and specialist teaching and professional services staff available to look after our children. Furthermore, we can commit to providing a more sustainable provision until we can re-open our academies as normal.

How many pupils will there be in one academy?

The combined numbers of pupils at Pathways E-ACT Academy will still be very low as most of our parents and carers are keeping their children at home. Just 2 pupils at Parkwood E-ACT Academy and up to 12 pupils at Pathways E-ACT Academy have taken up places. As has been made clear in the latest government guidance, smaller groups of pupils in schools and academies are considered to carry a lower risk.

By temporarily moving our provision into a larger E-ACT academy than ours, we can look after our pupils in smaller groups in wider, more open spaces. Nevertheless, the academy premises will be regularly cleaned in line with the latest government guidelines, and pupils will be reminded of the importance of washing their hands throughout the day.

Do I have any other options available to me?

Our number one priority is the wellbeing of our pupils and staff, so I hope parents and carers will understand our decision. However, we recognise that a change in location may pose certain practical issues for you. If this is the case, please contact the Academy using the email address info@parkwoodacademy.org.uk as they may be able to offer a suitable alternative.

For pupils entitled to free school meals

Pupils who are eligible for free school meals can continue to collect their grab bags from Pathways Academy.

Arrangements for pupils at home

Staff who are not currently based in academy continue to work remotely and are setting classwork online and through work packs. We plan to remain in regular contact with parents and carers to ensure the quality of educational provision for all our pupils is maintained, whether they are based at home or in academy over the coming weeks.

If you or your child start to feel unwell

If in the coming weeks someone in your household is advised to self-isolate by the NHS, please let us know as soon as possible using the email address absent@e-act.org.uk. We will need your child’s name, year group and academy.

For information, the latest guidance from the NHS can be found at www.nhs.uk and the latest on social distancing can be found at www.gov.uk.

We plan to remain in close contact with you

These are clearly unprecedented times for us all, and we are having to make tough decisions to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. However, whether your child is based at an E-ACT academy or at home, we will do all we can to support you and your family.

I take this opportunity to thank you again for your continued support during these challenging times, and ask that you contact us with any questions or concerns using the email address info@parkwoodacademy.org.uk

Yours sincerely,

Gemma Cottingham

Headteacher