15 June 2020
Dear Parents and Carers
Summer holidays and the start of next term
I hope that you and your families are well. I am writing to update you on arrangements for the end of this term and beginning of next.
Our school term ends on Friday 10 July; after this date our schools will be closed to all pupils (including the children of key workers and those classed as more vulnerable) for the six week summer holiday period. You may be aware from the press of a ‘National Catch Up Programme’ that has been suggested by the government. At the time of writing we have no details on this but it may be possible that our school buildings could be used by the Department for Education if such a plan comes to fruition. There will be separate information shared with you about that if and when it becomes available.
Whilst our Advent term officially starts on Wednesday 26 August, please note that our Secondary Schools will only be open for eligible students in Year 7 and Year 12 from Wednesday 26 – Friday 28 August. Eligible students in Years 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 will return to school from Tuesday 1 September. As you will appreciate, we have not had the ability to undertake most of the face-to-face transition work to support students new to our schools this term, so we will focus on these two year groups during that first week. Further information will be available from your school in due course.
We are looking forward to welcoming back our students in Years 10 and 12 this week after what has been a lengthy absence from school; also, we are aware that this absence continues for our young people in other year groups. We hope to see them back in school as soon as we possibly can, but the remote learning resources will continue for them until then.
With best wishes,
Neil Lockyer
Chief Executive Officer, St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust