Many thanks to all who have sent messages of support and thanks to the school over the course of this week – the school is proud to be playing its part in maintaining provision for the children of critical workers as part of the national response to the coronavirus crisis.As part of this response, the school will endeavour to remain open in this emergency capacity over the next fortnight (including bank holiday periods) and beyond, with minimal staffing to reduce social contact and transmission risk.

The school would like to emphasise to its school community the importance of following government advice and staying at home during this difficult period – please click here to find a letter from Greg Fell, Sheffield City Council’s Director of Public Health, with further information.

Update for Critical Workers

As noted above, the school remains partially open in order to provide provision for the children of critical workers who have no alternative childcare – please remember however that current advice is that all children stay at home where possible even in this context in order to minimise social contact.For critical worker parents who have no alternative childcare, please note that any attending pupil over the next fortnight and bank holiday period will need to bring a packed lunch, and that Breakfast Club has unfortunately been suspended from Monday 30 March until further notice.Lydgate After School Club will be open to attending pupils from next week onwards from the end of the school day until 6pm – please contact 07860 852793 for more information.

Home learning ideas and stimuli for the Easter period will be distributed today – please make use of these stimuli where possible, but also be mindful of the fact that the next fortnight would have been a holiday period for your child when supporting their learning at home.Parents and carers may also be aware that the school is an accredited Centre of Learning for Sheffield Children’s University (see website for more information); please find alongside this update details of CU’s home learning provision (and how to subscribe to receive CU activities at home).Please also note that previously distributed online learning resource links have now been added to your child’s year group blog on the school’s website.

Community Message: Stay Home – Stay Safe

As previously, we will continue to keep you updated with any further advice we receive and continue to follow government and city council guidance. As a school, we again wish to send out our very best wishes to you all. We continue to urge everyone to help each other as much as possible and to continue to create and maintain the wonderful support networks for vulnerable members of our much valued community.It is both humbling and uplifting to see the myriad ways in which the whole community is working together to keep each other safe and well at this difficult time.