We’d hoped by now that the government would have released details of which workers are deemed to be ‘key workers’. They sent this in an email yesterday:
To provide parents, student and staff with the certainty they need, we are announcing that schools, colleges and early years settings will be closed to everyone except children of key workers and vulnerable children from Monday, as part of the country’s ongoing response to coronavirus.
Examples of these workers include NHS staff, police and delivery drivers who need to be able to go to work… A full list of key worker categories will be published by the Cabinet Office tomorrow.
Children who do not fall into these groups should remain at home with appropriate care.
The government hasn’t provided us with this list yet.
To help us plan for next week, it would be helpful if you contact school by telephone if you think you’re a key worker (or your partner if you have one).
When you call, you’ll be asked:
- Which key worker category you (or partner) falls into – at the moment this is only broken down as NHS staff, police or delivery driver
- How many days you need the service for in a typical week
- If there’s an adult under 70 at home who’s able to look after the children
On Monday, when you drop your child off, you’ll be asked:
- To show some evidence of the key worker status (this is so we can protect the provision for those who really need it)
- To bring a packed lunch and any snack, unless your child is entitled to free school meals
Please note that things are changing quickly. By the time you read this, we may have more information about the key worker status.