Southend Council: Our Letter to Support Schools

May 21, 2020

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has expressed its full support to all state funded schools in the borough confirming trust in their professional judgement as they are due to reopen.

Following the Government’s recent decision that schools are to reopen from 1st June 2020, for select year groups, school staff have been busy carrying out important risk assessment and making plans so pupils in reception, year 1, and 6, plus year 10 and 12, can return safely.

Each individual school has its own challenges in terms of facilities, staffing, logistics and students. The council is clear that headteachers and their staff are best placed to make the decision on how to respond to the Government’s request in a way that is right for their staff, their children and their community.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has written to every school to let them know their position.

Cllr Anne Jones, cabinet member for children and learning, said: “We are incredibly lucky that we have such fantastic schools in the borough whose primary concern is the safety and wellbeing of the children and the staff. No one understands the schools better than the staff that work within them, therefore their judgement as professionals on how to implement the safe return of students is essential. Every school has our full support – whatever their decision.”

Here is the letter in full: https://www.southend.gov.uk/LetterToSchools

For trusted information about Coronavirus, please visit: www.southend.gov.uk/coronavirus