School Re-opening 2021

1. Dear Parents/Carers

Further to the education minister's latest statement St. Patrick’s Mullinahoe will be closed from 4th - 8th January and children will learn remotely via Seesaw or with home learning packs.

As we have a new more contagious strain of Covid 19 spreading rapidly throughout the community this is a welcome announcement to ensure the health and safety of all within St. Patrick’s and will be kept under review. As we receive further advice and guidance this will be communicated to parents and carers.

Tuesday 5th of January will be a day for staff to prepare for the weeks ahead.

The school will provide supervised learning for vulnerable children and the children of key workers from Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th January.

Please see below the definition of vulnerable children and key workers.

The school will be open from 8.30 am and all pupils attending should be collected at 1.45 pm to enable teachers to attend to work submitted remotely.

Definition of Vulnerable Children

The definition of Vulnerable Children as set out in the cross-departmental Vulnerable Children and Young People's Plan 2020 is: (https:// www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/ consultation-cross-departmental-covid-19- vulnerable-children-and-young-peoples-plan)

• A child who has an assigned social worker because he or she is a child in need, in need of protection (or on the child protection register) or is a looked after child.

• A child in need includes young carers, children with disabilities, and children living in families where there is domestic abuse, substance abuse, and / or mental health difficulties.

• A child who is receiving support from, or has been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

• A child who has a statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN), a child who is accessing EOTAS, or a child who normally accesses Education Nurture Units.

• A child who is ‘on-the-edge’ of receiving support from children’s social services.

• A child who is in need, including in need of protection, but whose need is not known to statutory services.

• A child who is not known to statutory or voluntary and community support services but who is vulnerable because their family is under increased pressure due to Covid-19 related circumstances.

• A young person who was previously a looked after child, whether or not they are receiving support from statutory services.

• A child who has been placed for adoption.

• Asylum seeking and refugee children and children whose parents have no recourse to public funds.

Definition of Key Workers

Key workers are defined as:

• 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 pre- school and teaching staff, social workers, youth 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;

• Transport. 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, banking and waste disposal;

• Financial Services - This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure);

• 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.);

• Retail. This includes those workers who have been working throughout the pandemic in food retail, for example, and will now extend to those working in other retail businesses permitted to operate by the Executive from June 2020;

• Other workers essential to delivering key public services such as the National Crime Agency; and

• Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response.