Schools to close for last two days of term

Schools in Caerphilly County Borough will move online from Thursday, December 17, for the final two days of the school term, the council has confirmed.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s chief education officer, Keri Cole, has written a letter to parents and carers about the plans for the end of term.

The letter recognises the rise of cases in the county borough and the disruption children and young people have experienced to their education.

While Ms Cole says that the last day of on-site learning for pupils will be December 16, with term due to end on December 18, schools in the county borough may be making their own decisions on plans for the last week of term.

Ms Cole says that some schools “may also have planned or may be re-scheduling inset days,” while others may decide to move to blended learning earlier than two days before the end of term.

St Martin’s School in Caerphilly has already announced it will move inset days forward from the summer term, meaning pupils will break up for their Christmas holidays this week.

Parents have expressed fears their children may have to self-isolate over Christmas if they come into contact with a coronavirus case during the last week of term.

Parents have been advised that headteachers will be contacting them to outline specific arrangements for children.

Youngsters who get free school meals will still receive them for the remaining two days.

This news comes after the Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association announced an agreement to keep schools open until the end of term.

Ms Cole says: “The local authority and school communities are absolutely committed to offering the best provision under increasingly difficult circumstances and we  recognise how worrying this situation must be for you.

“I sincerely hope that you will enjoy a safe, family Christmas and that we will all  look forward together to a new year. “

Blackwood councillor Kevin Etheridge said: “A number of parents have raised concerns and I believe each school should make their own decisions in consultation with governors and parents.”

Neil Butler, national official for the Welsh branch of the teaching union NASUWT, said: “There are serious implications in keeping schools open in the final week of the autumn term.”

He said the union would support distance learning during the final week of term.