Parent Letter 11.05.2020
Dear Parents,
We wanted to take the opportunity to write to you at what we know is a sensitive and worrying time for all families. During this time of crisis, the Government has made it clear that the primary focus for our school leaders, teachers and support staff is to care for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. We are proud of the way our schools have risen to the challenge. The vast majority of schools in Hounslow remain open for these children and have continued to ensure that there was provision available for them throughout the Easter break.
On top of this, schools have been working hard to provide innovative ways that children can access learning at home. Many schools have also gone above and beyond in supporting their local communities, for example coming together to gather their PPE supplies for distribution to NHS frontline staff and providing hampers of food for their most vulnerable families.
Everyone is committed to ensuring that this unprecedented situation is handled as well as possible. We recognise how challenging this crisis continues to be, as we seek to find a way through and to find a new normality. We must remember that this is not education as we have ever known it and we are working with our schools to support them to provide home-learning and to support you as families.
The resilience shown by the schools in our borough over the last few weeks has been remarkable, and we are sure you share our heartfelt gratitude for how school staff have responded to this outbreak. (Please find Cllr Bruce’s online message on 09/04/2020 to schools, staff and young people here.)
The reality is that no remote learning offer, regardless of how sophisticated it may be, will replicate the typical school day. We know it is a big ask of all parents throughout the country to take an active role in supporting the education of their child at home, and schools are providing all the resources they can to support parents to do this.
We know that this is an extremely unsettling period for you and your children, especially those due to sit exams, leave school or move to new schools later this year. Please be assured that schools will continue to do everything they can to support pupils during this difficult time. The dedicated coronavirus webpage on the council’s website has more updates and useful information. This can be found at: https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/coronavirus
Above all, we wish you and your family well and hope that you stay safe during this time.
Yours faithfully
Councillor Tom Bruce
Cabinet Member for Education, Children
and Youth Services
Steven Forbes
Executive Director of Children’s and
Adults’ Services