Dear Parents,

The speed with which the government introduced changes last week took everyone by surprise. Please forgive yet another message, but updates are necessary.

Following the closure of schools, we are planning to return to face-to-face teaching on 27 February.

The next 5 sessions will therefore take place remotely. Please do not give up on lessons! We realise that online classes can never replace teaching in the classroom, but they maintain the continuity of teaching, referred to in the Dziennik Ustaw (Journal of Laws) as continuous education. Abandoning the core curriculum in the middle of the school year will leave children with gaps and create differences in levels within the class. Every child matters very much to us. If a child does not attend remote lessons, we will have to carry out a language competence test before readmitting them to school. The language assessment checks the child's understanding, speaking, writing and reading in Polish, as well as their knowledge of the curriculum for the given class. Only on the basis of the test result is the child placed in a particular class that matches their abilities.

After discussions with the Purley Oaks authorities, the School Board has obtained agreement to reduce the rental fees for the school building for the next 5 Saturdays. We are absolutely delighted! This means we can reduce the fees by 50%. Accordingly, the school fees (January 9, 16, 23, 30; February – 6) are:

£30 for the first child £25 for the second (£55 in total for two children) £22.50 for the third and each further child (£77.50 in total for three or more children)

Payments can be made to the school account: Frederic Chopin Polish Saturday School Account number: 61176160 Sort code: 30-98-97 Lloyds Bank Please enter your child's first name and surname as the payment reference.

The second part of the term will probably be charged at the standard fees. I will keep you informed of any changes as they happen.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Prime Minister Johnson's announcement also signalled the cancellation of GCSE and A-level exams. Unfortunately, the information is not entirely clear, and we do not yet know which exams will be cancelled or what will replace them. There may be new forms of assessment (Assessments); some exam papers may be marked by the students' own teachers. We are in the fortunate position that our students have already sat their first mock exams, and we have the relevant records. We are waiting for detailed guidance, which we will pass on directly to parents and students in the GCSE and A-level classes.

In addition, this evening I will be taking part in a conference for headteachers of Polish community schools abroad. If any new information emerges, I will let you know without delay.

Take care of yourselves and do not lose hope.

With warm regards

Irena Kukuła, Headteacher