School urges families not to gather in park

CONGREGATING AFTER LESSONS ‘UNDERMINING SAFETY WORK’

A HEAD teacher has issued a plea for parents and pupils not to go to the park after school.

A letter was sent home from Glen Hills, in Glen Parva, after the primary school was made aware of crowds congregating at the play area at the end of the school day.

Head teacher Rebecca Wesley said heading for the park “undermines the school’s safety measures” and urged parents and carers not to take children there after school.

Two bubbles are understood to be isolating after cases have been confirmed at the Featherstone Drive academy.

A dog walker who was in the park just after 3pm on Tuesday said: “The place was packed.

“I think there must have been more than 100 parents and kids there.

“I would have thought people wouldn’t want to risk schools having to close again, or having their children sent home, but the kids were all mixing, and parents were, too.

“It must be frustrating for staff to see when they have to follow strict rules and keep children apart at school.

“The risk might not be as high when people are outside – and I know it’s just kids wanting to have fun – but lockdown isn’t over yet.”

The school reported a Covid-19 case last week.

In the letter, Mrs Wesley, said: “It has been brought to the school’s attention that a number of families are congregating at the park at the end of the school day. “During the school day, we have put in place protocols and routines in order to keep children and staff within separate bubbles in order to make our school as safe as possible.

“If the children then mix at the park at the end of the day, this undermines the school’s safety measures.

“I would therefore urge you to avoid mixing at the park at the end of the school day in order to help us to keep our community as safe as possible at this difficult time.

“We appreciate that this is something we, as a school, cannot enforce but this plea is being sent to you to try to keep everyone safe.

“Thank you in advance for your support with this.”

I would urge you to avoid mixing at the park at the end of the school day

Rebecca Wesley, Glen Hills head teacher