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INSET Day 18th December

Please read the letter below for details about an INSET Day on 18/12/20

Dear Parents, 

I am writing to you to inform you that, in consultation with the governing board,  we have taken the decision to hold a school INSET day next Friday 18th December. This is following the end of term advice issued by the DFE on Tuesday this week and supported by Oxfordshire County Council. We cannot, regrettably, offer any special care arrangements on the day in the school.

We have not made this decision lightly as we know that it is likely to affect your plans next week and we apologise for the lateness of the notice. The school, in consultation with the Governing Board have carefully and mindfully considered all the school's stakeholders and believe this decision to be in the best interests for everyone at the school.

The message from the  DFE, emailed to all schools confirmed  that school staff need to be on call to assist with Track and Trace, should it be necessary, for the first six days of the Christmas holiday; This puts staff on call until 24th December. In the same email, they suggested that schools might make 18th December an In service training day meaning that staff will be on call until 23rd December instead of up to Christmas Eve.

End of term – advice for schools

To ensure that staff get the time off they need and deserve, schools may wish to use an INSET day, making Friday 18 December a non-teaching day and using the day for staff training, which could be delivered online.

This extra day will mean that families are able to monitor and isolate as needed between the end of school and potentially meeting with other members of extended family over the Christmas period.

We have been in consultation with local partnership schools who also feel that the extra INSET day will be of benefit to staff, children and families At this time, we believe that some of the other schools who are part of the Headington Partnership, will also be INSET next Friday. Each school has made their decision based on their own circumstances and what they believe to be in the best interests for their school.

This has been an incredibly difficult term and year for everyone. We feel that we have, with your support managed to keep the school open and healthy for everyone for much of the year. Staff and children have worked extremely hard and we would all ask for your support in this decision.

School will be closing at 3.05pm on Thursday 17th December.

We would like to wish our much-valued Windmill parents a very happy festive period and a chance to regather and recoup from such a difficult year.

Best wishes, 

Lynn Knapp            Geoff Sutton

Headteacher           Chair of Governors