CHILDCARE FOR KEYWORKERS DURING COVID19 SCHOOL CLOSURE

Please consider the following before requesting a childcare place in school.

From Hounslow Council’s Director of Public Health, Kelly O’Neill: 

 “Around one in thirty people in London are currently infected with COVID-19. This current very high rate of infection in our borough is increasing fast- as the Prime Minister said when announcing their closure – schools can act as vectors for the virus. Right now, we need to keep doing everything we can to stop the virus from spreading. We agree with the Government’s decision to close schools and for schools to only stay open for those pupils who are in the greatest need; this emergency measure will help schools to maintain a safe environment for children and staff. As the Government’s guidance has made clear, where people can keep their child/children at home for remote learning, they should. The simple truth is that if schools become overused, the lockdown will fail. If schools become overused, the demands on teachers will mean schools cannot operate safely. We are appealing to schools to limit as far as possible the extent to which they offer emergency childcare on site, and to maximise take-up of online learning at home. We appeal too to families to keep their child or children learning at home.