WELSH Education Minister Kirsty Williams has confirmed that children in Foundation Phase (aged three to seven) will start to return to school on Monday, February 22 after the half-term break.

Pembrokeshire County Council says it welcomes the announcement.

Director for Education, Steven Richards-Downes, said: “Today’s announcement gives clarity to school staff and families and about a phased return to school for Foundation Phase learners.

“Schools have been working closely with the Council and planning and preparing for this announcement for some time. Schools will now move into an operational phase, building on the knowledge and experience of the past year to ensure that schools are as Covid-safe as they can possibly be.

“Please check your school’s website and social media pages over coming weeks for details of how the return to school will look for your child/children.

“It is important to remember that for those learners not included in this announcement schools will still continue to provide distance learning provision. Again please contact your child/children’s school directly if you have any queries on distance learning.

“Provision for the children of key workers and vulnerable learners will also continue.

“I would like to once again thank everyone, school staff, learners and parents and carers for the way they have embraced learning at home and adapted to the current situation.

“We look forward to welcoming more learners back to schools when safe to do so.

“In the meantime, please continue to follow the guidance to keep driving down the spread of Covid-19.”

The phased return to schools is only possible because people have stuck to the rules, the Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation said.

Responding to the latest Welsh Government update on the Coronavirus pandemic, Darren Hughes told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “Everyone in Wales wants to see our children go back to school as soon as it’s safe to do so. Teachers, the NHS and anyone who works with children understands the need to get them back to face-to-face learning as soon as possible.
“That’s why we’ll need the public to be particularly careful as we bring some children back to school, it’s not a return to normality. The phased return to schools is only possible because people have stuck to the rules and the vaccination programme roll-out has continued to progress, at speed.

“It is fantastic to see we have passed the milestone of having administered half a million vaccinations, meaning more than one in six people in Wales have now had their first dose. The rapid acceleration of the vaccination programme roll-out is a credit to our staff and all of the organisations working in partnership and individuals involved. Every person we vaccinate is another step closer to safer communities.

“Whilst the overall picture is looking positive, pressure on the NHS remains high, and we continue to have a high level of hospitalisations. Let’s not go backwards now.”
The National Deaf Children’s Society has responded to the announcement that schools in Wales will reopen to younger children on February 22nd. There are around 2,500 deaf children in Wales, of whom around 1,100 are of primary school age.

Debbie Thomas, Head of Policy at the National Deaf Children’s Society Cymru, said: “Families of young deaf children in Wales will have mixed views on the return to school. Remote learning has brought real challenges during the pandemic, but deaf pupils have faced barriers in the classroom too, such as face masks and difficulties in accessing their specialist teachers.

“As schools prepare to reopen, it’s vital that they consider the needs of their deaf pupils at this very difficult time because many of them face a huge battle to catch-up. They will need ongoing, tailored support to help them succeed.”