Salisbury Primary School
Salisbury Street
Darlaston,
Walsall
WS10 8BQ
29th March 2018
Dear Parent/Guardians,
At Salisbury Primary we are aware it will soon be the holy month of Ramadan and that this is an extremely important time for many of our families. As you will be aware, the holy month of Ramadan is due to commence for our Muslim children from around 15th May 2018 until Eid al-Fitr, around 15th June 2016. This is also the time for national public SATS examinations.
This letter is written to advise and inform both parents and chldren about the considerations needed in observing fasting during Ramadan;and the issues this may present to health and the pressures on our children for best performance in the examinations. It also serves to inform you about the procedures the school has to have at this time to open a dialogue about these issues with families and the school. In so doing, the information presented draws on the advice and guidance provided by national organisations, such as the National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of school and college leaders. These organisations have researched these issues and consulted with many Islamic experts and scholars, imams and Muslim chaplains in the education sector, as well as other organisations, including the Muslim Council of Britain. As such, they have tried to accommodate the wide and varied range of interpretations of Islamic practice and law and this letter does not intend to endorse any particular interpretation. The advice is that ‘it is very important that normal routines and activities continue throughout Ramadan.’ This would apply to teaching and learning at school. However, we are concerned that at this time of year daylight hours are very long and it is inevitable that anyone who fasts may feel tired, find it difficult to concentrate and be at risk of dehydration. Hence, we have been working closely with other schools and School Health organisations to follow their advice.
To ensure that our children continue to learn to the best of their ability, school requires that every pupil participate in all elements of the curriculum and therefore recommends that children in primary school do not fast on school days. There will be 18 school days during Ramadan this year and we are particularly concerned about the risk of dehydration for pupils. We would suggest parents consider supporting their children, who have reached puberty, to fast at weekends and after the end of the summer term.
However, if your child has reached puberty and you feel it is appropriate for them to fast on some school days during Ramadan please write a letter to the Headteacher, before Wednesday 1st May 2018, as we need to be aware of which children may be fasting and to discuss with you the arrangements for their wellbeing and supervision. In reaching a decision of whether to fast, for example on examination days, families and children should be aware of the flexibility that exists within Islamic practices for students to delay to alternative days of the year or exempt themselves from fasting and/or late night prayers if it is believed performance in examinations could be adversely affected.
Children who fast, in agreement with the school, will be monitored during their lessons and parents will be called if any child shows signs of being unwell. In our safeguarding duty, the school will apply judgement and common sense in ‘taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes’ as outlined in the Department for Education guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education. For example, if a child is unwell and showing signs of dehydration/ exhaustion, they will be asked if they are fasting and advised to terminate the fast by drinking water, reassuring them that this is allowed in Islam and that the fast can be deferred to an alternative day.
For families observing Ramadan may we wish you well in your challenge and Ramadan-ul Mubarak.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs D. Steen.
Headteacher