🗞 Newsletter - 13.11.2020

🗞 Newsletter - 06.11.2020

🗞 Newsletter 01.11.2020

🗞 End of Half Term Newsletter 23.10.2020

🦠 School Selected for Regular COVID-19 Testing

Dear Parents/Carers

Last week I received a phone call from the Local Authority saying that we had been chosen by the DfE for an infection survey. My first thought was one of anxiety and why we had been selected again so soon after Ofsted visited. However, it became clear very quickly that this was ‘infection’ and not ‘inspection’ and was a really positive opportunity for the school and it is not compulsory.

150 schools in England have been selected to be part of the School Infection Survey in which the children and staff can be tested for COVID-19 and antibodies once every half term for the rest of the year. I decided that this would be something that could potentially be very beneficial for us and accepted the invitation.

I think the information provided covers everything in detail but I would like to point out the main points from my perspective:

• It is completely voluntary and any person can be withdrawn at any time (we must have consent from families before the children are tested. Any child who we don’t have consent for will not be included).

• Staff will also be tested.

• The tests for children are not as uncomfortable as the ones that are usually used at testing centres.

• You will receive the results of all the tests.

• The results are not shared with other families etc.

• It will provide a better picture for us in school of the number of people who have been infected already and also help the national authorities combat COVID-19.

In my view this is a real privilege for us to be given advanced and routine testing and I encourage as many people who are interested to sign up. Just to repeat myself, if you do not wish for your child to be included then that is fine by us and there is absolutely no pressure. We all have different opinions and feelings and none us can say with 100% certainty who is right or wrong.

I will text the the link for staff and families to sign up next week when it has been passed to me. If there are any questions, please get in touch and I will share the general answers with all families.

Thank you again for your patience, flexibility and cooperation. I know I have thrown a lot of things at everyone this term and the good humour and support has been fantastic.

Mr. Sharp

Head Teacher

🦠 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