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St Michael's Primary School, Killean, Newry

Key Worker Survey

4th Jan 2021

Following the Minister of Education’s most recent announcement regarding the reopening of schools after the Christmas break the following will apply for our school:

  • School will not reopen fully until Monday 11th January
  • Children will be taught remotely via our website from Wednesday 6th January to Friday 8th of January. (Should you wish to have hard copies of the work, please email lcampbell123@c2kni.net )
  • School will be open only if required for children of Key Workers and those children deemed Vulnerable from Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th 

The Minister has asked schools to assist key workers and vulnerable children who have exhausted ALL other options of childcare and who meet DE set criteria. Supervision in school is to accommodate vulnerable children and children of key workers if there is no other safe means for childcare.


Given the significant rise in COVID-19 cases since Christmas and in the interest of keeping our whole school community safe it is essential that we keep pupil numbers to an absolute minimum on Wednesday - Friday.

Please click this link to complete our  Key Worker Survey Please ensure your response is received by 10am on Tuesday 5th January in order to facilitate necessary arrangements.

Department of Education Definition of a Vulnerable Child (Jan 21)

The definition of Vulnerable Children as set out in the cross-departmental Vulnerable Children and Young People's Plan 2020 is:
• A child who has an assigned social worker because he or she is a child in need, in need of protection
(or on the child protection register) or is a looked after child.
• A child in need includes young carers, children with disabilities, and children living in families where
there is domestic abuse, substance abuse, and / or mental health difficulties.
• A child who is receiving support from, or has been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services (CAMHS).
• A child who has a statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN), a child who is accessing EOTAS, or a
child who normally accesses Education Nurture Units.
• A child who is ‘on-the-edge’ of receiving support from children’s social services.
• A child who is in need, including in need of protection, but whose need is not known to statutory
services.
• A child who is not known to statutory or voluntary and community support services but who is
vulnerable because their family is under increased pressure due to Covid-19 related circumstances.
• A young person who was previously a looked after child, whether or not they are receiving support
from statutory services.
• A child who has been placed for adoption.
• Asylum seeking and refugee children and children whose parents have no recourse to public funds


Department of Education Definition of a Key Worker (Jan 21)


• Health and Social Care. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home
carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector;
• Education and childcare. This includes pre-school and teaching staff, social workers and
those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response;
• Public safety and national security. This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key
contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles;
• Transport. This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during
the Covid-19 response;
• Utilities, and Communication. This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including
sewage) and primary industry supplies to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in
telecommunications, post and delivery, banking and waste disposal;
• Financial Services - This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but
not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure);
• Food and other necessary goods. This includes those involved in food production, processing,
distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g. hygiene,
medical, etc.);
• Retail. This includes those workers who have been working throughout the pandemic in food retail,
for example, and will now extend to those working in other retail businesses permitted to operate by
the Executive from June 2020;
• Other workers essential to delivering key public services such as the National Crime Agency; and
• Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the
effective delivery of the Covid-19 response.

Please log into our Home Learning Section to complete our Key Worker Survey.