You are receiving this letter as your child’s primary school is represented, by your principal, on the East Antrim Principal Association. Many principals on this association have agreed to follow a coordinated response to ensure that we support the children of key workers in a similar way across our schools. Some schools may be in a position to provide more support, depending on the numbers of staff still available to work.

It is vitally important that schools are aware how many children of key workers will be attending school on any given day. If you are an identified key worker, please contact the school by e-mail or phone.  

Before contacting school, please pay particular attention to the following points. Schools will not be able to operate a ‘normal’ school day. WE are operating with a reduced Staff with Staff in school on planned rotation.

Points to consider

• A list of key workers, issued by the Department of Education is listed overleaf. Only children with one parent working as a key worker, and both parents out at work at the same time should consider attending school. In single parent families, the individual parent MUST be a key worker.
• Alternative childcare arrangements should be sought before deciding to send your child to school. For example, with other family members, friends etc. Schools must be used as a last resort. This is to try and limit the number of children and adults together in a small space in line with recent social distancing guidance. Also as government advice states, ‘.. the fewer children travelling to school and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk of the virus spreading.’
• Schools will not have wraparound services available. Each school’s normal opening and closing time will apply. Eg 9am – 2pm, 9am – 3pm.
• Children attending will be required to wear their school uniform. Please be advised that schools will be performing childcare duties, rather than teaching, as not all teachers are currently available to teach specific year groups and teachers must also be available to provide online / remote learning.

We would ask that you pay attention to the points outlined above before deciding to send your child to school. Obviously, it goes without saying, if your only option is to send your child to school, we will look after them in order to support you in your important role.

Yours sincerely,

Principals (East Antrim Principal’s Association)

LIST OF KEY WORKERS AS OUTLINED ON DOCUMENTATION ISSUED TO SCHOOLS ON 19^TH MARCH 2020

Please work with us to ensure that schools operate with a limited number of children and staff.

• 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 nursery and teaching staff, social 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, services and waste disposal

• 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)

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