Dear Parents/Carers
We want to share with you the latest information about the phased re-opening of all Rhondda Cynon Taf schools. The Minister for Education in Wales, Kirsty Williams, announced on 3 June 2020 that all children would have the opportunity to 'Check in, Catch up, Prepare' for the summer and September. This next phase will start on 29 June 2020.

This is an anxious time for everyone. We know that we have seen a fall in Covid -19 cases nationally and your actions have made a big contribution to this. We also know that some families and children have found lockdown very difficult to cope with. Some will have been personally affected with loss and grief, others will have encountered financial challenges and we have all
experienced change and uncertainty. In this next phase, we can now open things up gradually and sensibly, with the safety of our children, families and staff remaining the priority. School leaders and the local authority are working together to establish the best approach to opening our schools.
Essential workers and vulnerable children will continue to access childcare, but this will be based in their own school from the 29 June 2020. Other children who have not been accessing emergency childcare in hubs may only be attending school intermittently before the end of the term. Schools will be working towards the third of all learners accessing school or childcare
provision established on school sites on any given day. Moving forward a blended approach to learning will be adopted involving a combination of direct contact in school and distance learning.

We know you will feel uncertain and will have many questions about your child's individual circumstances. We want to help deal with those questions and address your concerns.

Pupils who are in receipt of a shielding letter due to their medical vulnerability or who live in a household with someone who is in receipt of a shielding letter should not return to school. School leadership teams will be carrying out risk assessments to help them identify the approach that is right for your child's school. Capacity in schools will vary and many schools will need to introduce a phased re-integration. This will affect the year groups that can attend and the days available. Schools will work very differently, at least for the rest of this summer term. Class sizes will be small and schools will implement regular hand washing and social distancing. This means lessons may run differently, break times and lunch times may be staggered, school start and finish times may be different. We will be working closely with schools and governors to try to ensure consistency in terms of principles and approach.

If your child requires home to school transport, these arrangements will change as strict safety and social distancing arrangements will be applied on the vehicles. We ask that parents and carers help communicate to pupils the importance of following social distancing rules, as this will play a key role in keeping everyone safe. Further information on home to school transport is provided on the Council's website in a set of Frequently Asked Questions www.rctcbc.gov.uk/schoolfaqs.

We know that schools not being fully open can create difficulties for working parents and carers. Hopefully, the information provided in the Frequently Asked Questions for Parents and Carers on the Council website will answer any questions that you might have www.rctcbc.gov.uk/schoolfaqs. If they do not address your questions, you can email us at schoolplanning@rctcbc.gov.uk with any queries.

Emergency childcare applications for the period commencing the 29 June 2020 will go live on the 19 June 2020 and will close on the 21 June 2020. We will not accept late applications and places will be restricted to ensure safe access to childcare and school. Further information about your child's return to school will be provided by the school in due course. 

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council continues to work closely with all our schools, who have done a fantastic job in delivering childcare throughout the term, including holiday periods and weekends under very difficult conditions.

Thank you for supporting your child with their learning in the home and for working in partnership with your child's school. Your support is very much appreciated.
Thank you in anticipation of your continued support.
Yours sincerely,

Gaynor Davies
Director of Education and Inclusion Services