Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Message to our children

  Fri 27 Mar 2020

  Dear Children,

   

  Just a little ‘Hi’ from me to say thank you for keeping your teachers entertained with your fabulous work. They have loved the excitement of opening up their messages about your learning and have loved seeing your work; do keep them coming!

  We are immensely proud of how you are embracing this new way of working and it has been particularly heart-warming to see you getting involved in helping others too.

   

  I have seen some of your work as the teachers have sent me photographs of it which tells you how proud they are too.

  Keep being kind to one another and remember…keep smiling!

  This little poem by Paul Cookson made me smile today; I wonder if you’ve seen anything funny this week you could share with us?

   

  When dad scored a goal in the garden
  He celebrated with glee
  He put his t-shirt over his head
  And ran into a tree! 

   

  Lots of love and a virtual group hug to you all.

  From Mrs Hopkins x

  

• Parent Message – 27/03/20

  Fri 27 Mar 2020

  Dear Parents,

  As we approach the end of a highly unusual week, I’d just like to say a massive thank you for showing support to the school as well as your children. I know that I speak on behalf of all the teachers and the wider school staff and governors in saying that we are truly proud to be part of such wonderful communities.

  We have really missed the children and seeing you at the school gates, but thank goodness for technology!! We have loved the excitement of opening up messages from the children (via you!) about their learning and have loved seeing their work; do keep them coming! We are immensely proud of how the children are embracing this new way of working and it has been particularly heart-warming to see them getting involved in helping others.

  
  We have had a number of children who we have needed to care for this week and they have all been AMAZING! They fully understand the need for their parents to continue their role as a key worker and they have made their parents proud with their respectfulness, courage and enthusiasm. It hasn’t been easy for them going to a different environment and not having all familiar faces around them, but they have coped remarkably well and I know they have put staff through their paces with Joe Wicks fitness plans!!

  A great team effort all round. Thank you to everyone.

  There’s some important information to follow, but may I take this opportunity to wish you a healthy weekend and reminder that the clocks change…one hour forward!

  With very best wishes,

  Julie Hopkins: Executive Head Teacher
  Hollie Geeson, Amanda Scott, Alison Longden: Heads of School

  Keeping in touch

  Whilst staff have received messages from most families, there are some who have not been in touch. Please remember that staff still have a duty of care and as such we must remind you that it is an EXPECTATION that you will communicate with us, so please get in touch.

  We also need to keep in touch with those children who the government define as ‘vulnerable’ so if you receive a call from an unidentified number it could be us so please answer the call.

  FSM vouchers

  For those entitled to free school meals: office staff have been trying their hardest to resolve the issue of vouchers for you. Please bear with us; the on-line queues are rather busy!!

  Summer term staff changes

  We will send a letter out early next week informing you of imminent changes that will go ahead after the Easter holiday, regardless of whether or not school is open as I know some of you have queried this in schools where changes are expected.

  Fraud targeting parents of children in FSM

  The DfE has warned that fraudsters are targeting parents of children eligible for free school meals. Families have received an email requesting their bank details, claiming this will enable their children to continue receiving meals through school closures amid the COVID19 pandemic. DfE issued a notice, urging parents to delete the scam email immediately.

  It is abhorrent that criminals would seek to target the most economically vulnerable families at any time, least of all now; please report anything unusual to the police if you are affected.

  Children with Asthma

  Asthma UK published the following shielding advice yesterday and I would urge you to read if it concerns anyone in your care. Particular reference should be made to:

  “If you are, or your child is, taking:

  • Any biologic therapy, also called a mAb (Xolair/omalizumab, Nucala/mepolizumab, Cinqaero/reslizumab, Fasenra/benralizumab)
  • Steroid tablets or liquid every day
  • Antibiotic tablets or liquid for asthma every week (e.g. azithromycin)
  • Tiotropium
  • A combination inhaler that also contains a long-acting bronchodilator (e.g. Seretide, Fostair, Symbicort) at a high daily steroid dose (see the list in the article)
  • An inhaler with a high daily steroid dose (see the list….in the article) AND you are taking Montelukast

  Or, if:

  • You have been admitted to hospital for your asthma in the last 12 months
  • You have ever been admitted to an intensive care unit for your asthma

  Then you should follow the shielding advice which is set out in very helpful detail, including how to register for extra services from the government.”

• Free Audio Stories

  Tue 24 Mar 2020

  David Walliams has free audio stories available on his website.

   

  Visit www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/elevenses/ for a listen!

  

• Twinkl

  Mon 23 Mar 2020

  Twinkl is a great website for resources and help.

   

  If you visit www.twinkl.co.uk/offer and enter code UKTWINKLHELPS you will get 1 month free access.

  

• Letter to Parents – 20/03/20

  Fri 20 Mar 2020

  Dear Parents,

  The government has now published its guidance on which children should be able to attend school from Monday 23rd March. So that we can assess the staff we will need to deploy to make this possible, it is very important that you read the information below carefully and then decide whether or not your child(ren) meets the criteria. If you think you fall within the categories below you should confirm with your employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, your specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service and let us know.

  The government has been very clear that it is in the interests of everyone that only those children that meet the criteria and need to be at school should be attending from Monday – we ask for your support with this and will be giving further information later today on how children and parents can access learning materials and activities that can be used at home. To be clear, if you are able to care for your child at home please do so.

  Here is the guidance on which children should attend; if after reading it you believe your child(ren) should be attending school on Monday please reply to the school office email address by 12 noon today (20/03/20) giving the name(s) of children and which criteria applies.

  Children of the keyworkers listed below are: (note: it need only be one parent/carer in the family)

  a. Health and social care

  This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

  b. Education and childcare

  This includes nursery, teaching staff and necessary support staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

  c. Key public services

  This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

  d. Local and national government

  This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

  e. Food and other necessary goods

  This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

  f. Public safety and national security

  This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

  g. Transport

  This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

  h. Utilities, communication and financial services

  This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

  Vulnerable Children

  Children who are supported by social care, those with safeguarding and welfare needs, including child in need plans, on child protection plans, ‘looked after’ children, young carers, disabled children and those with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP).

  We appreciate that this is a challenging and stressful time for many families and want to assure you that as a school and Trust we will continue to do what we can to support you and your family. Your cooperation and support in return is very much appreciated.

  Yours sincerely,
  Mrs J V Hopkins, Executive Head teacher
  Mr R Andrews, CEO DLAT

• School closure to most pupils

  Thu 19 Mar 2020

  Following on from my last update, we have now been instructed to close the school to almost all children after this Friday until further notice.

   

  As advised by the government, we will do all we can to stay open for the children of key workers (e.g. NHS staff, police, others in frontline services) and children with certain needs.

  We are waiting for the government to publish more information on what this means, but it would help us in the meantime if you could let us know if you think your child may fall into one of these categories and if you would wish them to be in school, via email by tomorrow 20^th March, please.  Please give us your child’s name and class and the reason why you believe your child will qualify. Once I have all of this information I will be in a better place to make suitable arrangements for the children across all four of my schools, for example, if the demand is low then it might be that we could have one school open rather than all four to enable us to have more staff to meet need.  However, this is only a thought at the moment and no decision will be made without consultation with the CEO and chairs of governors. We’ll be in touch again as soon as we are sure who this will apply to.

  All other children will need to stay at home, so we ask that you do not send your child into school from Monday onwards.

   

  Please note that this is a national closure – as you may have heard in the news – so while it is a challenging situation, we are not alone. We’ll re-open fully as soon as we can and will let you know when this is by our school communication service and updating the school website.

   

  What we’ll continue doing while your child is at home

  Your child’s learning is of course important to us, so we’ll continue to help your child to learn.

  • Children have taken a blank exercise book home already, and we will be sending home a pencil case with other school supplies tomorrow.
  • We will have already sent home extra reading books, and children will bring additional books tomorrow to supplement this.
  • There will be activities, work suggestions and learning tasks on a timetable which will be added to the school website, these will be updated regularly by your child’s class teacher.
  • There are a wealth of online resources that education companies are making available to parents free of charge.  We will collate a list of these and add to it regularly. You will receive the initial list tomorrow and it will also be on the school website.
  • The school office will be manned as much as possible but we would prefer you to get in touch with us via emailing the school office or Dojo. Staff will be available during the normal school working hours to respond to any communication you send to us, although please don’t expect an immediate response as the volume of email correspondence may increase.

   

  If your child usually receives free school meals we will also be in touch with more information about how we will continue to provide this, with support from a scheme that the government has just announced.

   

  This is as much as we know right now and we appreciate your continued patience with as we deal with this ever-changing situation. We understand that this latest news will have an impact on you and your family and it’s far from ideal, but we’ll continue to keep in touch with any updates as the situation develops.

  If you want to get in touch to share any concerns, please don’t hesitate to do so via our normal phone number 01572 787658, by emailing the office on office@st-peters-wymondham.leics.sch.uk.

  And remember: if you or your child feels ill and you want to know what to do next, please use NHS 111 online.

  Thank you again for your continued support, and we will be in touch with more information when we can.

  Yours sincerely,

  Mrs J V Hopkins
  Executive Head teacher

• Coronavirus Update – 17/03/20

  Wed 18 Mar 2020

  Please find below an update from DLAT with the latest information regarding Coronavirus.

   

  We will keep you up to date as and when any further advice becomes available.

   

  Coronavirus Update – 17/03/20

   

  Following the coronavirus announcement by the Prime Minister on Monday 16th March we have continued to review the position with regard to Diocese of Leicester Academies Trust (DLAT) schools.

  At this point in time the clear guidance from central government is that schools should remain open. We are abiding by this guidance and in order to make our schools the safest possible environments for pupils and for staff are doing all we can with cleaning regimes in school, and advice to all on how to prevent the spread of infection.

  The updated guidance states:
  Staff, young people and children should stay at home if they are unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature to avoid spreading infection to others. Otherwise they should attend education or work as normal · if staff, young people or children become unwell on site with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature they should be sent home.
  The updated guidance can be found here:

  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidanceto-educational-settings-about-covid-19/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19

  We want to ensure that the education of pupils continues for all who are able to access it but in light of the guidance would ask parents and carers to be vigilant in following the advice above and keep children off school if they showing the symptoms. Where we believe that children are showing the symptoms in school we will contact home so that arrangements can be made for children to be picked up.

  Following the announcement on 16th March about groups of people that are at higher risk it is inevitable that some staff will not be able to come into school. We will need to balance the wish to ensure that child are able to continue with their learning with keeping our school environments safe for everyone. This may mean that we have to change the arrangements for some classes in order to make sure that we are using available staff wisely. We ask that you understand our position and are supportive if we have to make changes to classes.

  If government advice changes, we will update this note and if we are advised to close schools we will give additional information including how children and families will be supported to continue learning
  at home.

  Thank you for your support

   

  Russell Andrews
  Chief Executive Officer
  Diocese of Leicester Academies Trust

• Coronavirus Update – 13/03/20

  Fri 13 Mar 2020

  Please find below an update from DLAT with the latest information regarding Coronavirus.

   

  We will keep you up to date as and when any further advice becomes available.

   

  Coronavirus Update – 13/03/20

  The government has been very clear that we should not be closing schools at this point because of coronavirus and all DLAT schools will continue to be open until we are advised by the Department for Education to do otherwise. All our schools are following the latest guidance about how to reduce the risk of infection spreading. Information from the BBC about the simple steps families can take to limit the spread of coronavirus is available here.

  It is normal at this time of year for there to be bugs circulating within schools and so if staff or pupils are not attending school it may well be for reasons other than coronavirus.

  The latest government advice is that the most common symptoms of coronavirus are recent onset of a new continuous cough and/or high temperature. The advice states that from what has been seen so far children with COVID-19 appear to be less severely affected however if your child develops symptoms they need to stay at home for 7 days from the onset of their symptoms.

  For further information on this point see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

  If government advice changes, we will update this note and if we are advised to close schools we will give additional information including how children and families will be supported to continue learning at home.

  Russell Andrews
  Chief Executive Officer
  Diocese of Leicester Academies Trust

• Discovery Club cancelled – 12 March

  Mon 09 Mar 2020

  Discovery Club this Thursday (12 March) has been cancelled. 

  Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

  The club will resume as normal next week.

• Eat Them To Defeat Them

  Mon 02 Mar 2020

  We are pleased to tell you that we are supporting the new government scheme to encourage our children to eat more veg… sometimes a tricky task! You may have seen adverts on the TV recently and we are keen to get our children involved.

   

  We are sending home a reward chart with stickers which can be completed with your children at home if you wish to join in. In school we are running a poster competition which our School Council will help to organise, along with lots of other supporting activities in the coming weeks.

   

  We hope you will join us in the fight!