Coronavirus information

September 2020

Reopening of Hope Learning Trust schools

This month we have welcomed students and staff back to all of our ten schools. The health, safety and wellbeing of our students, staff, parents/carers and families remains our number one priority and we continue to work closely together to make our schools as safe as possible for everyone.

All our planning has been undertaken in line with government guidance and you can read each school’s Risk Assessment for Wider Opening of School – September 2020, by clicking the links below:

Barlby High School

George Pindar School

Graham School

Manor CE Academy

Vale of York Academy

Baldersby St James CE Primary School

Burton Green Primary School

Forest of Galtres Anglican Methodist Primary School

Poppleton Ousebank Primary School

Skelton Primary School 

Monday June 8, 2020

Wider opening of Hope Learning Trust schools

Hope Learning Trust is pleased to announce that as of 1 June all five of our primary schools significantly increased the number of pupils accessing education within school. For four of the five primary schools this has involved the gradual return of Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. However, due to the increased number of families wishing to take up places for the children of key workers, Poppleton Ousebank Primary School has not been able to welcome back the above year groups (as has been the case for other schools within York).

The Trust are placing the safety of the children, their families and our staff at the heart of every decision that is made about the wider reopening of schools. In line with Government guidance the Trust has undertaken robust and rigorous site inspections and risk assessments at each school site. Social distancing is being maintained with students working in smaller groups, which are sometimes referred to as ‘bubbles’.

As of 15 June all five of the Hope secondary schools will welcome back students from the current Year 10. The students will also attend school under controlled conditions, with limited numbers of students being on site at any one time. We envisage that each Year 10 student will spend three focused hours per week with their teachers to support their online and home learning.

The Trust is closely monitoring the Government’s intentions for the rest of the academic year and for September 2020 onwards, where there may need to be a phased return of students. We will communicate more details to parents and carers, when these have been supplied by the Government.

For specific information and guidance about your child’s school please refer to their school website.

The Trust appreciates the significant efforts of the Senior Leaders and all of the school staff who have worked tirelessly since the start of lock down to keep the schools open for vulnerable children and the children of key workers, this provision has included the Easter and half term holidays and the Bank Holidays.

Thank you for your continued support of our schools. Please do everything you can to keep safe.

Brian Crosby
Chief Executive Officer, Hope Learning Trust York

Monday May 11, 2020

Reopening of City of York Schools

Please read a letter to all Hope Learning Trust staff on behalf of the York Schools and Academies Board (YSAB) following the announcement on May 10, 2020 by the government of its conditional plan of a phased reopening of schools. Click here to read the full letter.

UPDATE from the Chief Executive Officer (22nd April 2020)

Please read this letter to parents/carers, dated 22nd April 2020, from our Chief Executive Officer, Mr Brian Crosby.

Trust response to Ofqual guidance regarding awarding Summer 2020 GCSE grades

Following the recent Ofqual publication on Friday 3 April 2020, which provided guidance to schools on how grades will be awarded this summer, we wanted to inform you about what your school will be doing to provide students with grades. The details of the Trust response are set out here or you can watch this useful video from Ofqual:

Emergency cover

The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. In response to the Prime Minister’s address to the Nation, we must ask that parents and carers continue to only access the emergency child care cover at the school if you absolutely have to and if there is no one else in your household, who is not a key worker, who can safely look after your child.

It is essential that we minimise the number of people accessing this emergency cover so that we can adhere to strict social distancing requirements, for the health and safety and wellbeing of the children and our staff.

Please read a letter to parents/carers, dated 20 March 2020, from our Chief Executive Officer, Mr Brian Crosby.

What do I do if I need to access the emergency cover?

Please visit your child’s school website for details about how to access the emergency cover. Please inform the school if your requirements change and you no longer need cover for the days you have booked.

Our school websites can be found here:

• Baldersby St James C of E Primary School
• Barlby High School
• Burton Green Primary School
• Forest of Galtres Anglican Methodist Primary School
• George Pindar School
• Graham School
• Manor CE Academy
• Poppleton Ousebank Primary School
• Skelton Primary School
• Vale of York Academy

What is a key worker?

‘Key workers’ are defined as those whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response or those who work in one of the critical sectors listed below:

• Health and Social Care
• Education and Child Care
• Key Public Service
• Local and National Government (linked to COVID-19)
• Food Supplies
• Public Safety and National Security
• Transport
• Utilities, Communication and Finance
• Key Workers
• Health Care
• Journalist and Broadcasters
• Religious Staff, Charities and Workers delivering frontline services

For a complete list of all roles which the government has classified as ‘critical’ please visit the Gov.uk website

Official guidance

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