Plans for last week of school before Christmas holidays being discussed

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Arrangements for the last week of school before the Christmas holidays are currently being discussed, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s leader and chief executive have revealed.

It comes after St Martin’s School in Caerphilly announced on Tuesday (December 1) that it would be shutting a week early for the holidays to reduce the risk of pupils having to self-isolate over Christmas.

In the open letter to residents, council leader Philippa Marsden and chief executive Christina Harrhy said they were aware that a “small number of headteachers” surveying parents for their views on the final week of term.

The open letter says: “Distance learning, which is now regularly used to support pupils who are self-isolating, may also provide an opportunity for pupils who do not physically attend school during that final week to continue to engage in learning.

“We will feedback to you on the outcome of these discussions as conclusions are drawn.”

Cllr Marsden and Ms Harrhy said they recognise Christmas “is likely to present significant challenges in terms of managing the infection rate”.

The letter urges the public to keep the number of people they interact with over Christmas to a minimum.

The current infection rate in the county borough is 250 cases per 100,000 population, while the ‘R’ rate across Wales is between 1.3 and 1.4. The ‘R’ rate shows how many people one person with the infection is likely to pass it on to.

The letter says: “We must remain vigilant as we enter the festive season. Everyone is frustrated and annoyed by the ongoing disruption to our daily lives and we, like you, are missing family and friends who we have not seen for such a long time.

“We recognise the toll this has taken on many of you, but let’s continue to work together and keep up the fantastic effort that you have all demonstrated over recent months.

“We are all looking forward to Christmas, but please take a moment to consider alternative ways to celebrate this special time in a safe and sensible way so we continue to protect ourselves and our loved ones from this terrible virus.”