🦠 COVID-19 Update

Hello everyone

We are nearly at the end of the first half term under our COVID-19 risk assessment and I am over the moon that we have not yet had to send any bubbles home and that our attendance has been above national and Manchester averages.

This has been a fantastic achievement by families, children and staff, resulting in the children receiving a full education and happy with their friends.

However, I am starting to be concerned about the number of children who need to self-isolate at home because a parent or family member has received a positive test result. In some classes, there is an emerging pattern of increased positive cases in households and this significantly increases the risk of cases coming into school, which will then result in children being sent home.

You can see that the most recent of figures for Manchester and Newton Heath are high and everyone connected with school must ensure that they are distanced from other households, whether that is on the playground or outside of school. A hug or an affectionate pat on the arm are the most normal things for us all, but at these times it could harm us all. There is no cause for alarm, but there is cause for caution.

I know from my own personal experience that many people resent the efforts they are making whilst other people apparently ignore rules or are unaware of the guidance. Please resist the urge to copy the behaviour of others and continue to do the right thing.

These are the restrictions that we are likely to be under very soon.

I know you will be aware of the consequences of children being sent home to self-isolate but I think it is worth highlighting some of them again:

• Families will need to stay at home to care for children, and in these circumstances, they can not rely on other family members from other houses.

• Family incomes could be impacted and holidays lost.

• Vulnerable family members could be put at risk.

• The children will need support with learning at home.

• The children will miss their friends and teachers.

• Learning at home will not be as productive as learning in school.

There are many different views about the seriousness of COVID-19, ranging from high levels of anxiety to a very relaxed outlook. Whatever our own opinions are, please follow the guidance so that the children are in school happy and learning. The other thing to remember, is that if COVID-19 is passed to the staff, it could have a huge impact on safe staffing levels and children may need to be sent home, even without a positive case in a bubble.

The UK Government and NHS have released a Winter Covid-19 campaign, encouraging people to take care with their 'hands, face and space' to prevent the spread ...

You may have heard that schools nearby in Oldham are asking parents to wear face coverings when dropping off/collecting their children, we have not received similar guidance ourselves, but feel free to wear one as an extra precaution. None of our children are expected to wear face coverings. The most important rules for us are that all families need to socially distance on the playgrounds (and outside of schools), not touch one another and also ensure that children living with people with symptoms and/or positive test results are self-isolating.

Let’s aim for another half term with no bubbles sent home and the children happy learning in school. It is likely to be even harder to achieve through the winter, but it can be done if we follow the rules in school and at home.

Many thanks for all your cooperation and support.

Mr. Sharp

Head Teacher

🗞 Newsletter 16.10.2020

👩🏻‍🏫 Parents' Meetings Update

We have been thinking very hard about managing Parents’ Meetings this year so that they are in line with our COVID-19 risk assessment and that they also provide families with important updates on the progress of their children.

For the meetings in November, we have decided the following:

• The meetings will be held by phone call. The teacher will call families using the number on Arbor (the system we use to hold details about all children and families) from a school device. Please make sure we have up-to-date contact details.

• The meetings will be up to 10 minutes long. Please ensure you are available at the time booked and also try and help us to keep to the strict 10 minute time limit.

• Appointments are to be booked through Parent Portal and will be live from Tuesday 3rd November at 9:00am (no bookings can be made before this time). You should already be able to see the appointment schedule (Guardian Consultations) in Parent Portal, but they are not yet live.

• Teachers will send attainment levels, targets and any other information they wish to share before the meetings so that families have the opportunity to digest it and think of questions if they wish to. This information will be sent by email, or through Google Classroom if needed.

• If there is anything specific you wish to ask, then it may save time if you contact the class teacher using the class email account (please see the class pages for the class contact details) before the meeting.

• Obviously, it will save the teacher’s precious time if all meetings are held on the day timetabled. However, if you really are unavailable, then you can arrange a phone meeting with a teacher at another time.

At the present time we have 63% of children with a parent/carer signed in to Parent Portal. We need to ensure that all families are signed up so that everyone can make Parents’ Meetings bookings. If anyone needs support setting up Parent Portal, please contact Mrs. Mason in the school office and she will be able to help. If you have any other concerns, worries or questions then please get in touch by email or speak to me or Mrs. Flatman on the playgrounds.

We know that we are living in uncertain times and that these plans may need to change, so thank you for your ongoing patience, understanding and support.

Head Teacher

🗞 Newsletter - 09.10.2020

Remember to click on the video image and the underlined text to explore the links.

Letter to parents and guardians: when you should book a coronavirus test for your child

Date: 23 September 2020

Dear parents and guardians,

This is an important letter to share some information on how we can work together to make sure we can continue to give children and young people the best education in the safest way possible.

One important part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of pupils, students, parents and our communities is testing for coronavirus. We all have a duty to make sure that the right people have access to get tested at the right time. Every time a test is used inappropriately, a person with COVID-19 symptoms may miss out on getting tested.

Therefore, I ask that you all follow these principles:

• you should only book a test if your child has any of these 3 coronavirus symptoms:

  1. a high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature)

  2. a new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours

  3. a loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal

• your child does not need a test if they have a runny nose, are sneezing or feeling unwell but do not have a temperature, cough or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste because these are not normally symptoms of coronavirus

• if you are unsure about whether to get a test, please check the official list of symptoms on the NHS website, which is reviewed regularly

• only the person with symptoms should get a test. You do not need to get a test for anyone else in the household unless they also have any of the 3 symptoms listed above. All members of the household need to self-isolate whilst waiting for the test result

• if the person with symptoms’ test comes back positive, other members of their household should continue self-isolating for 14 days and only get a test if they develop coronavirus symptoms

• if a pupil or student in a class or bubble tests positive for coronavirus, anyone who is advised to self-isolate does not require a test unless they subsequently develop symptoms.

No one else in the same class or bubble as the symptomatic person needs to take any action unless advised by the school or college. Schools and colleges have detailed guidance and access to a Department for Education and Public Health England helpline for advice and support.

Contacts of a person who has tested positive must follow the guidance carefully and in full, which means they must stay at home for 14 days. This is because it can take several days following contact with an infected person before an individual develops symptoms or the virus can be detected. Students should only book a test if they get symptoms.

The NHS has produced some guidance to help parents understand when their child can and cannot attend school which you may find useful.

It is vital for children and young people’s learning and future opportunities that they are able to return to school and college. It is therefore vitally important that all we work together and do our bit to make this possible.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Viv Bennett CBE 
Chief Nurse and Director Maternity and Early Years, Public Health England

Dr Susan Hopkins
Interim Chief Medical Officer, NHS Test & Trace
Deputy Director, Public Health England
Consultant in Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, Royal Free, London

🗞 Newsletter 02.10.2020