Thank you to Worcestershire’s staff as schools close for Christmas break

In her letter, Councillor Onslow said “As the term and year come to a close, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to the education staff and early years professionals in Worcestershire. Your dedication, hard work, and support for children and young people has been truly remarkable. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated by the entire local school community in the county. Thank you for your exceptional commitment over the past 12 months.

“We have continued to witness this year the damaging effect the pandemic and its aftermath has had on school attendance. Nationally the rate of absence in schools in England has increased significantly since the pandemic.  I am aware of the concerted efforts schools have been making to improve attendance and that whilst still at early stages overall we can see some improvements on the same time last year for some groups of children. We all know the importance of attending school and the impact regular absence has on children’s education, development and wellbeing so I would like to personally thank you all for your efforts to remove barriers and encourage students back to the classroom.

“It was an unexpected start to the Autumn term following the announcement from the Department for Education advising that education settings with any space or area with confirmed RAAC should no longer be open without mitigations in place. I am extremely grateful for the way schools have responded to this direction and swiftly undertaken assessments to ensure the safety of staff and pupils and minimise any disruption to education. Thankfully we have had no confirmed instances of RAAC in Worcestershire schools.

“As the term comes to an end, I want to express my gratitude to the leaders and staff who will be leaving schools or settings. Thank you for your dedicated service and contributions. I take this opportunity to wish you the very best for your future endeavours.

“Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude on behalf of Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire Children First. Thank you for your unwavering support throughout the year. I wish you all a joyful, healthy, and safe Christmas and New Year.