Emmanuel School in West Bridgford has closed to Year 9 students only.
The school issued this statement about the part-closure which starts today Wednesday 18 March.
‘Following the new advice issued by the government yesterday in relation to COVID-19, we have had to enact a partial closure of the school. This means the school will be closed to Year 9 students from Wednesday 18 March until further notice.
‘Students in other year groups should continue to attend as normal.
‘As you can imagine, deciding which year group is affected by the closure has been difficult. This decision was based largely around the fact that Year 9 students are of an age where most parents/carers would be prepared to leave them at home unsupervised for a period of time. In these circumstances, this should enable parents/carers who work to continue to do so, without needing to take time off to look after their children. Younger students would likely need closer parental supervision, so the impact on the wider workforce would be greater. Students in Years 10 to 13 are closer to their exams, so we have prioritised their education in school for as long as we can.
‘This partial closure is as a result of the new guidelines around self-isolation. There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus within the school, but a significant number of staff are self-isolating where they – or somebody they live with – have symptoms.
‘The health and safety of our students, staff and the wider school community is, as always, our number one priority. As you know, we have been closely following all government guidance relating to the virus. We have also taken all the necessary precautions since the outbreak to prevent it from impacting our school and to keep students safe. This has included limiting visitors to the school site. In line with this, we would ask that you only visit the school site if absolutely necessary, and communicate with us by phone or email instead.
‘Whilst we understand that this may cause disruption for you and your family, we have robust plans in place so that your child can continue their education during this time. Work will be made available to students – sent by email and set on Go4Schools and via the school website – tomorrow.
‘Year 9 students are welcome to return to school tomorrow at 12.30-1.00pm to have a hot meal. Going forwards, we are currently working on a plan to support those students who receive free school meals whilst they are unable to attend school.
‘We will continue to update you via the website and text messages where appropriate. In the meantime, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you wholeheartedly for your understanding and ongoing support in helping us to manage this unprecedented situation.’
