Headteachers Update 15th January 2021

Thank you for your kind words when receiving telephone calls or emails last week. This virus will continue to challenge us but together we are stronger!

I’d like to apologise for the detail and content of my newsletter – it is COVID heavy… please make sure you enjoy the photographs of our wonderful pupils overleaf!

As we live with the new variant of COVID19 we will review and make changes rapidly. Today I have shared with staff, transport & parents our new protocol for the ‘handover’ of pupils from either transport  assistants or parents – this protocol has been implemented following a review and observations made by myself this week. Please take time to read this and respect the measures we are putting in place to keep your family and our staff safe. Parents and pupils are asked to stay in their car until 9.10, we cannot have families gathering outside the entrances, this is not COVID secure.

I have asked staff to identify any pupils who will require an individual risk assessment if this new protocol does not meet their needs e.g. moving and handling required from vehicle to a wheelchair or pupil behaviour that is dangerous on the vehicle.

Please do not bring your child to school if you are unwell or awaiting test results!

I hope you are enjoying the Remote Learning content via Tapestry. We have very excited staff in HMO developing our offer daily. Please upload the evidence of your child’s learning as we will be celebrating this in school during our assembly (which has changed to a Monday) or within class. You will be receiving a weekly remote learning newsletter as well as an updated curriculum timetable. All parents should receive a copy of the child’s remote learning intentions. These will track progress during Lockdown 3 for remote learning, these targets are to be agreed by parents, carers and class teacher.

Please remember, as of Monday all class communications will be via Tapestry. Unfortunately the Care Diary is not available via the App (we have contacted Tapestry to see if we can change this) you will receive a care diary notification which will take you to the website to view this.

Finally, the Government is now asking parents and carers who are critical workers to keep their children at home if possible and only use a school place if they have no other options available. We ask that children of key workers send their children on the days they require us, it will help keep our contacts to a minimum, remote learning will be available to all pupils on their non face to face days (Children of key workers will be entitled to a minimum of 3 days face to face). The fewer children we have in schools, the more it will help in our collective efforts to stop the spread of the virus. We will continue to work hard to keep our families and staff safe from COVID, as I shared last week, the cases are rising in our area and it is impacting on staffing. We will reopen bubbles as quickly as we can!