February 28th 2020
Dear Parent/Carer,
I am writing with regard to our current provision of the school opening to students at 8:30am. You will remember I suspended Breakfast club provision in January whilst I prepared a report for Governors. Governors considered my report, any views expressed by parents and the fact that numbers eating breakfast at school since the change to an 8:30am opening have increased albeit slightly.
Governors considered a number of options including instituting a termly pass system for approximately thirty students, the possibility of outsourcing provision to a private provider who would offer private childcare at a cost to parents or continuing with our new temporary arrangements of opening 15 minutes before the start of school and offering a free breakfast to those students who want it.
Governors made the decision to continue with the current provision of opening the school to all students at 8:30am.
This means that the Green gate, which students enter through will not open until 8:30am. If you drop your child off prior to 8:30am you need to be aware that they will not have access to the school building or the area behind our Green fence and therefore will be unsupervised. Those students who need to be inside school prior to 8:30am are students on Year 11 revision sessions, Looked After Students arriving by taxi, those attending the Exclusion Unit at 8:15am or those completing morning detentions. Those students should report to main reception and will be given access to the building through the same entrance as staff. For those students who would like a free breakfast, one will still be available from 8:30am.
I realise that this may inconvenience or disappoint some students who enjoy coming into school earlier and parents who may drop students off prior to 8:30am. Governors debated this at length and wanted to retain a form of provision that was of no cost to all parents. Without changing staff employment contracts, which is of considerable expense to the school or outsourcing to a private provider there is no fair way of providing a Breakfast club any earlier. I am conscious that some parents were willing to pay for child care, however Governors were mindful that there are private child care providers in the community and Governors were determined to retain an element of provision that was of no cost.
Governors asked me to remind parents that it is essential that students are not dropped off too early particularly on days where weather is inclement. They also asked me to remind parents that it is also their responsibility to update the school regarding issues that may be of concern to enable staff to plan for how best to meet individual needs. Finally and most importantly parents need to be aware that as our Green Gates are open from 8:30am until 8:45am to allow student access into the building; a child is able to come into the building but is also free to leave the building until those gates are closed.
At this point there are numerous staff on duty but this will not prevent a child from leaving if they choose to or are determined to do so. Please speak to your children and stress that it is their responsibility to make the right decisions about their own safety and remain in school when you believe they are meant to be there. If you feel that your child is not able to make those decisions in their own interest, then it is essential you liaise with the school. If you have any comments you’d like Governors to consider in future, please put them in writing and mark for the attention of the Head Teacher.
Yours sincerely
Geoff Lumsdon
Head Teacher
SEAHAM HIGH SCHOOL
