School Closure Year 7, 8 and 10

NUAST will be closed for Years 7, 8 and 10 until further notice (Whole School - 17/03/2020)

As you will be aware, the Government made significant announcements yesterday evening linked to Coronavirus-(COVID19). At this moment in time the Government isn’t instructing schools to close. The Nova Education Trust are aiming to maintain as normal a service as possible at this moment in time, but safeguarding pupils and staff is of paramount importance.

The Government advice included self-isolation for all family members in a household where one or more family member is displaying symptoms of either persistent cough or high temperature. In addition, those who are pregnant and people who have existing health conditions such as respiratory disease, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, neurological disease, diabetes and illness linked to spleen have been advised to self-isolate.

As a trust and school, we have been placed in a very difficult position. As public servants we naturally want to maintain our service to our learners. To do this we need staff to be at work to provide that service. Self-isolation on top of normal absence may make it very difficult to maintain a normal school service level.

Following the advice issued by Government yesterday evening, a number of staff have been unable to attend school today and will not be able to return for a minimum of 14 days. Due to this, I have taken the decision to impose a partial closure on NUAST for the remainder of this week.

From tomorrow, Wednesday 18th March NUAST will ONLY be open to Year groups 11, 12 and 13. Students in Years 7, 8 and 10 should not attend school until further notice. Updates will be issued via Parent Mail and the school website.

The loss of school meals are a major area of concern to many families. If the school is required to fully close, we will work with our catering suppliers to provide some service. At this point in time however, we cannot guarantee this service to families.

Any students who display symptoms of Coronavirus-(COVID19) within Year groups 11, 12 and 13 should not attend school for the next 14 days this being until the end of Friday 3rd April. Additionally, any students who live in a household where family members are self-isolating should not attend school during this period.

Work will be set for students via school systems such as Microsoft ‘Teams’ and this will be accessible via the school website. Students should check their emails daily for instructions relating to work and how to access ‘Teams’. Please support your child and the school by encouraging completion of the work set.