Noticeboard

Coronavirus Update – School Closure To Most Pupils

Thu 19 Mar 2020 ND

Dear Parents and Carers,

Following on from my last update, I’m now writing to let you know that we have 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, including those with an EHC plan.

Please note that we will only be able to make provision for pupils who fall into these two criteria. There will be no exceptions. We realise that this may be inconvenient for some parents/carers, but we are unable to make individual arrangements in the interests of fairness, consistency and of course minimising social contact. Please be considerate and do not put us in a difficult position by asking us to accommodate your child if they do not fulfil the criteria.

We are likely to have fewer staff ourselves so will be ensuring adequate staffing to provide supervision and care for children who do attend, for as long as we can. This means that we will not be running a normal timetable. As indicated by the Secretary of State, schools will be providing care, not education.

Therefore, we will need to know in advance and within a very short time period which children we will have in school. If you are intending to send your child in during this period of closure, please complete the attached sheet and send it in to school, or telephone/email Ami Rathmill on 01227 464134 (arathmill@wincheap.kent.sch.uk ), with all the details requested (even if you are currently self -isolating). This will need to be with us by tomorrow (Friday 20th March) at 1pm at the latest, as I am sure you can appreciate we have very little time to organise arrangements.

Once we receive that information, we will check against our guidelines and let you know whether your child meets the criteria. If you indicate that your child will attend and this changes for any reason, please let us know. We will also continue to provide hot meals for the time being. Normal arrangements will apply.

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 via the website and Facebook.

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.

As detailed in a previous letter:

Each child will be issued with a Home Learning exercise book and a list of activities to do. Should you run out of work, there will be an email address for you to contact us during normal school hours to request further work (homelearning@wincheap.kent.sch.uk) . We will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can, but please bear in mind that we are all still working and some staff may be absent; your patience is appreciated. Please also consult the school website (www.wincheap.kent.sch.uk) or the official school Facebook page for access to work resources and any relevant information. The appropriate website pages will be under the Children tab and Class Newsletters, along with the Wincheap TV page, where some teachers may upload learning videos in due course to support your child. News surrounding the school will be found on the website under the Parent tab and Latest News.

Safeguarding and other urgent concerns:

There may be a need for parents/carers, pupils or staff members to urgently contact the Pastoral Manager about safeguarding issues or other pressing matters during the closure. Please contact Mrs Amanda Cole on acole@wincheap.kent.sch.uk or by telephoning the school number as indicated below.

Free school meals:

If your child usually receives free school meals we will also be in touch in due course with more information about support from a scheme that the government has just announced.

What we won’t be able to go ahead with:

• Breakfast or after-school clubs

• SATs tests in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

• Phonics Screening in Year 1

• Multiplication Tables Checking in Year 4

• Sending out reports and assessment data at the current time

• All school events eg any planned trips, showcase moments, Easter Bonnet parade (even for children continuing to attend).

This is as much as we know right now and we appreciate your continued patience 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 info@wincheap.kent.sch.uk or headteacher@wincheap.kent.sch.uk or on the school telephone number 01227 464134. Our local vicar, Barney DeBerry has also kindly offered to be available should anyone wish to talk to him on Vicar@smb.org.uk .

Please remember also that if you or your child feels unwell and you want to know what to do next, please use NHS 111 online.

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

Yours sincerely, Nicola Dawson

Headteacher

Letter To Parents

Wed 18 Mar 2020 ND

Wednesday 18^th March 2020

Dear Parents and Carers

This afternoon, we have had a case reported to us of a child from our school who has had the symptoms of a continuous cough and high temperature. This child has a family member with a confirmed case of Covid 19.

The child concerned has not been in school since last week and the symptoms have developed since. Consequently, I have notified and sought advice from Public Health England who advised me that there is no further action required to be taken by the school, as the child did not have symptoms when on the school site.

The child will not be tested, in line with current policy, so we will not know for certain whether or not they have the virus. However, based on the family link, this is likely to be the case. I am sure you will join me in sending best wishes for a speedy recovery; we are pleased to report that the child is already much better.

Public Health England have advised us that it is important that no one attends the school site if they have symptoms of a new continuous cough or a high temperature under any circumstances, but instead should self-isolate for 7 days. Family members, or anyone they live with, should self-isolate for 14 days. With that in mind, should your child start to develop these symptoms whilst at school, we will follow advice and telephone you immediately to collect them. Equally, please be reassured that all those who are well should continue to attend as normal.

Should you be concerned that you or your child or any family member in your house has an underlying health issue, putting them at extra risk, please follow advice and self-isolate, but please let us know on the first day of absence.

We are continually reviewing the situation to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep your children safe and healthy. I will of course, continue to update you as appropriate.

Thank you as always for your support.

Yours sincerely, Nicola Dawson

Headteacher

Coronavirus Update - 180320

Wed 18 Mar 2020 ND

Dear Parents and Carers,

In these challenging and unprecedented circumstances, we are continuing to do all we can to keep the school open and running as normal. As you are already aware, we have made the decision to close breakfast club and after school club – largely due to staff absence and in a bid to preserve staff wellbeing so that school can function as smoothly as possible. After school clubs have also been cancelled (with the current exception of Fizz Pop Science club – although we wait to hear from them whether they can continue).

Our next steps will be to provide work for those families who are self-isolating. By the end of this week, your child’s teacher will send home a list of online programs that your children can access at home to support their learning, with the associated logins. Should we have to close the school, each child will be issued with a Home Learning exercise book and a list of activities for your child to do. Should you run out of work, there will be an email address for you to contact us to request further work. Please also consult the school website (see below) or the official school Facebook page for access to work resources and any relevant information. The appropriate website pages will be under the Children tab and Class Newsletters, along with the Wincheap TV page, where some teachers may upload learning videos in due course to support your child. News surrounding the school will be found on the website under the Parent tab and Latest News.

www.wincheap.kent.sch.uk

We will no longer be providing reading books for your child to take home so that we reduce the risk of spreading any germs, but your child can continue to read via the Bug Club program – again, you will receive a reminder of the login for your child soon.

Please could we also ask that parents do not come into school to deliver children for the time being, but deliver them to the doors where they will be greeted by teachers and sent to wash hands. We have been practising lining up in the playground so that children know what to expect and are comfortable with this and ready to show you their grown up routines in Key Stage 1. This should also support us in keeping the children healthy and safe.

As always, we are very grateful for your continued support. Our intention is to stay open for as long as we are allowed to and can manage with decreasing staffing levels, so that we can support working parents. Should we need to, we will abandon the curriculum and provide fun learning experiences in mixed classes. We will continue to update you regularly.

Your offers of support and positive wishes have been most appreciated.

Yours sincerely, Nicola Dawson

Headteacher

Today's Notices!

Tue 17 Mar 2020 PW

Today's Notices!

- Reading books will not be sent home to avoid items going to and from the school until further notice. Please could all books your children have at home be returned to school please.

- Could the children please not bring anything in from home that they don't need such as pencil cases and soft toys, etc.

- No Guitar lessons now until after Easter Holiday. Year 4 please keep your guitars at home to practise on.

- Lego Club will finish this Thursday (19th March)

- All inter-school sports fixtures and competitions have been cancelled.

- There will be no Gymnastics event at CGC on Thursday 26th March

- Unfortunately there will be no running club with Mr A this Friday. It will resume after the Easter Holiday

- Breakfast and After School Club cancelled from Monday 23rd March 2020 until after Easter Holiday

Breakfast and After School Club cancellation from Monday 23rd March 2020

Tue 17 Mar 2020 SW

Dear Parents and Carers,

Breakfast and After School Club cancellation from Monday 23rd March 2020

Please be advised that we have had to take the decision to cancel both Breakfast and After School Club starting Monday 23rd March until the end of term.

This decision has been taken to preserve the health of our staff and in order for us to be able to keep the rest of the school open. We are also finding it extremely difficult to arrange our weekly food delivery.

We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause you.

Yours sincerely, Mrs Dawson
Headteacher

Coronavirus Update - 150320

Sun 15 Mar 2020 ND

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are aware that there have been various posts on the parents Facebook page that are causing concern to other parents re the Coronavirus.

Please be reassured that we are taking this virus very seriously and doing all we can as a school to protect our children.

Here at Wincheap we will continue to follow advice from the DfE and communicate with parents immediately via letter, our website and Facebook. We would not want any parent to be worried. We will always have the children’s health and safety at the heart of everything we do.

Children will be asked to wash their hands thoroughly before entering classrooms and at key points throughout the day. If, as parents, you are concerned, please consult the NHS website. If concerns persist, then please telephone us to discuss.

Any child with the symptoms of a new cough and temperature should not come into school but should self isolate for 7 days. But it is of utmost importance that you let us know on the first morning of absence so that we are aware.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Coronavirus Update - 130320

Fri 13 Mar 2020 ND

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

At present, nothing has changed and we want to continue to reassure you all that we are following all the current advice from the DFE in regard to the Coronavirus, please see more information below:

Make sure you and your children follow these general principles to prevent spreading any respiratory virus:

· Wash your hands often – with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based sanitiser if soap and water aren’t available.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

· If you feel unwell, stay at home and don’t attend work or school.

· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin.

· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home.

· If you’re worried about your symptoms, please call NHS 111 – don’t go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment.

Coronavirus

Tue 10 Mar 2020 ND

CORONAVIRUS

We want to reassure you all that we are following all the current advice from the DFE in regard to the Coronavirus, please see more information below:

Make sure you and your children follow these general principles to prevent spreading any respiratory virus:

· Wash your hands often – with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based sanitiser if soap and water aren’t available.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

· If you feel unwell, stay at home and don’t attend work or school.

· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin.

· Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home.

· If you’re worried about your symptoms, please call NHS 111 – don’t go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment.

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