The government closed all schools in March of this year to help stop the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) and OAT schools have only remained open for children of key workers and vulnerable pupils. As of 1 June OAT primary schools have reopened for Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, and on 15 June OAT secondary schools reopened for those in Year 10 and Year 12. As a Trust we want to ensure we are making the right steps in moving forward positively to ensure our schools can reopen at the right time. Our children’s education and the safety of our school staff is paramount and we will abide by scientific advice so we can welcome our children back to school.

The home learning provision that has already been put in place in our schools will continue, so that pupils, parents and carers can access work, and so that teachers are able to ensure the stability, and support the continuity, of our 30,000 pupils’ education.

We are immensely proud of our OAT family, our principals, teachers, staff, our head office team and of course parents/carers and pupils. It is unsettling for us all but together we will get through this.

Please read our full statement regarding school reopening, in a letter sent to The Times, and signed by OAT and over 20 other trusts.

Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT) is one of the largest not-for-profit multi-academy trusts in England. We educate over 30,000 pupils across six English regions, in 32 secondary schools, seven primary schools and one special school. We are one of the longest established trusts and have been sponsoring academies since 2009. Our mission is to become the Trust that makes the biggest difference, both inside and outside the classroom.