Dear Parents/Carers,                                                                                                               26th June 2020 I hope this letter finds you safe and well.  As you know, we’ve been going through unprecedented times and life, for many, has been extremely difficult.  It’s almost a story of two halves – whilst some families have had time off, with full or 80% pay, loads of time for the children and time to reflect of what really matters in life, others have zero hours contracts, little/no pay and have found times very hard.  And that’s without considering the impact the virus has had on mental and physical health and well-being. Under ordinary circumstances, we would have a good idea of the difficulty’s families might be facing and be able to listen to concerns and signpost support.   At the moment, we only have 60 children attending and we haven’t seen many of our families for months.  We have spoken to all our families but that might not be the best time to share concerns. Bearing this in mind, there are things we can do to help any families that are facing challenging times.  Firstly, together with local schools we have employed Family Liaison Officers who are there to support our families.  Their role includes listening to families and working hard to resolve concerns.  Debbie Hussey is our support officer and she’s exceptionally good.  If you want to talk anything through, please call me and if it appears that additional support would help, then I can ring Debbie to get started.  Seeking support for your family can be one of the best things you can do.  Nobody should be facing difficult times alone. Additionally, some of our parents may now be facing financial difficulties.  Below is the page to apply for free school meals.  If you are eligible for free school meals the school also benefits with additional funding for your child/ren for the next 6 years.  It is worth applying even if you’re not certain that you will be successful. The page is: Free School Meals Link Some of our families already have free school meals and are now entitled to vouchers and meal boxes throughout the summer holidays.  We will be calling today to offer these.  If anybody if facing hardship and feels they need these benefits, please follow the link above and apply as soon as possible. Our school, under the current restrictions, is now full.  If you still need a place, please let us know and we can discuss options.  Thank you to everyone who has looked after their children, at home and allowed the key worker children to access the limited places we had in school.  Safety has been out utmost priority.  Thank you, also, to all our key workers who have been either fighting the disease or supporting those who have, you’ve done an amazing job. If anybody has any questions or concerns you can contact school by phone: 01663 744103, Mrs Daniels’ email is enquiries@furnessvale.derbyshire.sch.uk and my email is headteacher@furnessvale.derbyshire.sch.uk. Wishing you strength, resilience and happiness for the weeks ahead, best wishes, Carol Taylor Headteacher