COVID-19

Link to stay up to date on Covid-19: https://www.eboracademytrust.co.uk/coronavirus-latest/

The Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak has been described as “the worst public health crisis in a generation.”

This page has been set up to give parents and carers information on how Ebor Academy Trust and our 24 schools are responding to the worldwide pandemic.

As a general rule, our schools will continue to follow the advice from Public Health England.

You can get the most recent information here: Coronavirus (COVID-19): UK government response

Official guidance for educational settings and procedures to follow if you or your child are unwell, is here: COVID-19: guidance for education settings

Find out information and guidance on self-isolation here: Stay at home: guidance for people with confirmed or possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection

Some parents and carers have been asking if they should provide their child with hand sanitisers. Our policy is to not encourage the use of hand sanitisers, as thorough hand washing with soap and hot water is, in fact, more effective.

We have prepared contingency plans to try and continue children’s education in the event that the government imposes school closures.

We will prioritise pupils in Year 5 and 6 at primary phase and Year 10 and 11 at secondary. Chromebooks, a special kind of laptop that pupils use at school, will be provided on free loan so that each child can continue to receive their education at home.

“We are prioritising these children as they have SATs or GCSEs looming and we want to minimise any disruption any enforced school closure will bring,” said Gail Brown, Ebor’s chief executive. “We will use technology to bridge the gap as far as possible. Alternative arrangements will be made for children who do not have internet access available at home so no-one is disadvantaged.

“Other year groups will also receive work to do at home, possibly involving the use of technology, and we will be working closely with headteachers across our schools to reduce the impact as far as we can.

“It has been fortunate for us that we already use technology to enrich teaching and learning at our schools and actively champion its use. Teaching remotely is new to us all but I’m sure our teachers and pupils will rise to the challenge!”

Schools will be in touch directly with parents and carers with individual guidance and work planning for classes in the event of school closure.

As a trust we are hoping for the best but we are in a state of readiness and can respond quickly and effectively if we need to do.

This page will be updated as necessary.