IMPORTANT UPDATE RE: EMERGENCY CHILDCARE PROVISION | St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

St. Joseph’s Clydach, St. David’s, Bishop Vaughan, St. Joseph’s Cathedral School,

St. Illtyd’s

Thursday 2^nd April 2020

Dear Parent/Carer,

IMPORTANT UPDATE RE: EMERGENCY CHILDCARE PROVISION

As you are aware, our schools have been working together to provide emergency childcare for key workers who are now supporting essential services throughout this national crisis. All educational provision has been suspended to allow for this. These provisions are called Emergency Childcare Settings.

Our cluster – the five Catholic schools across the city – has been working responsively and flexibly to meet the level of need identified. As indicated to you in our letter of 27^th March, on careful analysis of those requiring and entitled to this emergency provision, our schools have phased this provision towards becoming a three setting provision.

From Monday 6^th April, the Emergency Childcare Settings will be located at:

Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School

For the children of parents eligible for emergency childcare from

Bishop Vaughan (pupils aged 11-14 only)
St. Joseph’s Cathedral School pupils aged 3-11
St. Joseph’s (Clydach) pupils aged 3-11

St. Illtyd’s Primary School

For pupils from St. Illtyd’s primary school aged 3-11 plus those with siblings in Bishop Vaughan (aged 11-14)

St. David’s Catholic Primary School

Please note: Parents who would normally seek provision at St. David’s are asked to utilise the booking form provided by the school; the school will contact parents to advise in response to the level of need identified.

We would ask you, if at all possible, to use the Emergency Childcare Request Booking Form which for all of the settings is accessible here: https://forms.gle/3ezpfm3EGtt4N3nYA

This will allow us to ensure that there is sufficient provision.

Our priority is to keep all children and young people safe, and by extension, you, their families, as well as the staff and their own families – especially those who will be in regular contact with the children accessing this provision, and especially as current Government guidelines prohibit gatherings larger than two people who are not from the same household under all other circumstances because of the risks presented.

We therefore thank parents for their understanding regarding the access and entitlement to these provisions. The restrictions around these are entirely based on the fact that all advice to us states that the safest place for your child is at home. In practical terms, every additional person with whom your family has contact presents a risk to you at this time. Our priority is, therefore, to ensure that these Emergency Childcare Settings operate only for those currently involved in the critical work to present loss of life in our communities, and even then, only for the hours in which they are carrying out this work and where there is no safer option available to them in terms of the care of their children. Any non-essential use of this provision increases the risk to the health of your own child and that of the whole community.

For those parents bringing the children to the Emergency Childcare Setting for the first time, please be advised that:

You can book the required days/ sessions using the form here: https://forms.gle/3ezpfm3EGtt4N3nYA
On the first occasion your child attends this provision, you will need to bring the Emergency Childcare Request Booking Form https://www.bishopvaughan.co.uk/forms with all of your contact details, etc. Paper copies will be available on arrival if you have been unable to print a copy.
At Bishop Vaughan, you can access the school via the main gate as usual; there are plenty of parking spaces available within the car park. The usual main entrance to the school will, however, be closed. The Childcare Setting entrance to be used is to the left of the main entrance and is clearly signposted.
With regret, we must advise parents that they are unable to enter the school beyond the Admission Desk at the entrance; this is necessary to reduce risk to you, your children and childcare staff.

As stated in our last letter to you, this challenging situation and the circumstances surrounding it are constantly changing. We will continue, therefore, to provide regular updates and news whenever possible. Bishop Vaughan’s website will provide these updates and news, as well as links to any specific information on the websites of all of the Catholic primary schools. You will find the school website here: https://www.bishopvaughan.co.uk/news and can follow the school on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Bishop_Vaughan.

As a group of schools dedicated to ensuring the wellbeing of your children throughout this most difficult period, we assure you of our commitment to supporting you in the very best ways that we can and we thank you for your understanding and support.

With our prayers for you and your families throughout this time, as always -

Yours faithfully,

Mrs. Pole, Mrs. Heald, Mrs. Stack, Mr. Lewis and Miss Richards

Headteachers of Bishop Vaughan, St. Joseph’s Cathedral School, St. Joseph’s Clydach, St. Illtyd’s and St. David’s Schools.