It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas or at least it was for the Christmas fair in Southwick Square last Saturday. There was a proper Christmas market with lots of festive good son offer but for many it was an opportunity just to get out and go to an event at last after the last month of lockdown.
Despite concerns about attracting a lot of people it was good to see everyone doing their best to keep their distance and wearing masks and there was definitely no sitting on Santa’s knee. Talking of Santa, I have had some emails from parents of worried children who have asked whether he will be on the priority list to be vaccinated. Some of you may have seen the Prime Minister’s reply to a worried 8 year old confirming that Santa did have permission to deliver presents to households that he wasn’t ‘bubbled’ with and I am glad to say that I have posted on my website confirmation from the Health Secretary that he has been made a priority for a jab too.
The Sussex Community NHS Trust have confirmed details that the first vaccinations are being given initially at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton this week starting with care home staff and residents able to travel there. Deliveries of the vaccine will shortly be made to other hospitals around Sussex and then most of the jabs will be made available through GP surgeries and other primary care sites so it will not be necessary for vulnerable people to travel to Brighton or large hospitals some distance from home. As I said last week everyone will be contacted about how and when to book in for their vaccination and should be patient.
I have had a number of emails from parents and students concerned about public exams next year given that they are likely to have missed more classroom time than this year’s cohort who had exams scrapped with the ensuing chaos over assessed gradings. I know that local heads needed clarity above all, and I had a very good virtual meeting with a selection from local schools last week to get their input. It was welcome therefore that the Education Secretary announced last Thursday that exams would go ahead on a reduced scale but they would need to factor in the impact on students who had missed a lot of school, particularly through living in high infection areas. Whilst exams are not ideal, they are probably the least worse way of gauging a student’s capability for going on to higher education in particular and we certainly do not want to repeat the stressful time of this summer.
I am hoping to be at the Shoreham farmers Market this Saturday again, suitably socially distanced and armed with hard copies of our cycle-lane survey if you have not filled in an online version yet. See you there.
