Letter To Parents 22nd January 2021

Dear Parents and Carers

I just wanted to start off by thanking each and every one of you for your amazing support through this exceptionally difficult time. Lots of staff at Cherry Oak are juggling working with the children on site, delivering zoom sessions, and creating home learning packs simultaneously. This is to try and support our children and parents as much as possible. As a parent myself I understand the unenviable situation that all parents find themselves in trying to home school.

Home Learning:

We have already started to action some of the feedback which we have received from parents/carers and we will continue to work through the rest once we are in a position to do so. Unfortunately, we are not able to meet everyone’s requirements as we have a large number of children who are working at home and everyone’s needs are slightly different.

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you my ‘Headteacher Challenge’ for all parents, carers and pupils. Here, I and members of staff will be setting up a range of challenges for pupils to complete at home. Pupils can try them on their own or with your help! I would love to see you all take part and upload your photos or videos to evidence for learning or emailed to your class teachers. With your permission we would like to upload them onto the webpage so everyone can see how well you have done. Some pupils may even win a prize!

You can access these weekly challenges here:

https://www.cherryoak.bham.sch.uk/headteacher-challenges/

Video:

It’s been a strange start to my headship of Cherry Oak, coming into post just as another national lockdown began. But we have all pulled together throughout this period and have produced a video for you all:

https://www.cherryoak.bham.sch.uk/home-learning/

We hope you enjoy!

COVID-19:

I have spoken to several parents and carers and have received emails about many individual circumstances. I have taken all these conversations into consideration when writing this. For the safety of our staff, of our community and for the sake of keeping as many critical workers in society as possible, please consider if you can reduce the amount of time your child is in school.  

We are currently being told that the Coronavirus is at its most dangerous, with a variant that is 50% more contagious, with a large number of cases in Birmingham being the new variant. This is not a time for complacency or relaxation. I am asking you to only bring your child into school if there is no way they can be home schooled because you are out at work, rather than working from home. If there is a way of keeping your child safe at home and minimising our numbers in school, then please keep them at home. 

I repeat the guidance from the DfE, if you can keep your child at home, then you should. 

If you can reduce your child’s hours, please do so by emailing the school office so we can adjust the registers and I can assign staff accordingly.  

I know this is a difficult and trying time for everyone, but please stay safe and look after each other.

Yours sincerely

Ross Ashcroft

Headteacher