Following yesterday’s confirmation, QEGS will close to most pupils as of 5pm tonight (20/03/2020).

School will only open next week to vulnerable children and children of key workers. The Government shared their guidance on key workers yesterday, which can be viewed here.

If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading. The Government is asking parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible – schools will remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.

However, if your child falls within either of these two categories and needs to come into school during the closure, it is essential you call us today on 01254686300 or email partialclosure@qegsblackburn.com with the following details (unless you have already done so):

  • Pupil name:
  • Date of birth:
  • Any siblings in school:
  • If your child/children will be attending school: Yes/No
  • Parental Job Role and place of work:
  • Reason for attending school during partial closure:

We can confirm that school will open into the Easter holiday (but will be closed Good Friday and Easter Monday) to continue to support the families of our pupils and children as they deliver key services to our community.

Children coming into school will be required to wear suitable casual clothing, with trainers so that they can take part in varied activities within the school day. Please note, the bus service will be suspended for this period and reviewed on a daily basis to ensure needs are met in regards to transportation to and from school. No payments for the bus service should be made during this period, through Scopay.

For pupils and students not coming into school from next week, daily work will be updated via Class Dojo (EYFS-Year 2), Class Charts and Google Classroom (Year 3-13) and must be completed on a daily basis. Teachers will either be working in school or remotely and following up on any pupils not submitting work on a daily basis. If you have any issues during this time, the school number will be available and emails will be responded to.

For those children on free school meals, we will shortly be sending out vouchers which can be used. These vouchers will be sent to ensure that families are receiving this support, even if they are no longer attending school. The Government has also confirmed that the total value of vouchers offered to each eligible child per week will exceed the rate it pays to schools for free school meals, recognising that families will not be buying food in bulk and may therefore incur higher costs.

We do not yet have a re-opening date but will update parents and carers as soon as we have this information. We also do not yet have further information on examinations and how this will affect our Year 11 and 13 pupils and students but will share a statement on this today to reassure our pupils, students and family members.

We would like to thank our school community for their support over the past week and as we head into the next phase of a challenging time for us all.