COVID-19 Update - 22 February 2021

For the moment, we continue to work under strict guidance from the government as to how we re-open and keep school open. The Education Minister on Thursday 18th February announced the following:

• Pre-school, nursery, and primary school pupils in P1 to P3 will return to full face-to-face teaching from 8th March 2021.

• Students in years 12-14 will return to full face-to-face teaching with effect from 22nd March 2021.

• To enable the return of years 12 to 14, remote learning will resume for pre-school/nursery children and pupils in P1 to 3 for the week beginning 22 March until the start of the Easter holidays.

In line with the guidance, we now plan to re-open our school in the following way:

• Pre-school, Kindergarten and Class 1 will return to full face-to-face teaching from 8th March 2021.

• Class 10 will return to full face-to-face teaching from 22nd March 2021.

We are hoping that we can keep our Pre-school, Kindergarten and Class 1 children in school for the week beginning 22nd March, but we will have to discuss this possibility with the Department for Health and the Department for Education.

Class 2 & 3, Class 4 & 5, Class 6, Class 7, Class 8 and Class 9 will continue with remote learning until schools receive an update from the Minister. 

Peter Weir said his main objective was a full return of all pupils to school as soon as practicably possible after the Easter break, but this had to be balanced against the public health position.

He said: “The clear feedback from schools, unions, parents and pupils has been that once a decision is taken to return to school, there should be no further periods of wholesale remote learning. However, I recognise that it may be necessary in limited cases”.