Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Keyworker School Provision
Please complete the short form below to let us know if your child needs access to our Key Worker School Provision.
My child will require provision (please circle): Y N
Please circle the days of the week that provision will be required:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Pupil Name…………………………………………………………… Class…………
Parent Name………………………………………………………………………………
Key worker role and brief explanation of this role:
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Emergency Contact number 1……………………………………………………………
Emergency Contact number 2……………………………………………………………
Email Contact address:…………………………………………………………………..
Any Medical/Allergy Issues/Needs: ……………………………………………………
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Any other important information we should know:
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I agree to provide my child with a packed lunch each day
Signed……………………………………………………………… Date………..…..
Dear Parents,
This morning we have received further guidance from the Department of Education on how we maintain education provision following the announcement earlier this week that schools will close.
You can access the parent guide here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers
We are continuing to work through what this means for us as a school and I will provide more information later today.
Many of you have been in touch to ask about a key worker list. The Department of Education has released the list of key workers today. This is below. Please note that the guidance is for anyone in the below categories who cannot keep their child safe at home. If it is possible for your child to be at home then they should be. If you do send your child in, they will need a packed lunch as we will have no school meal provision.
Health and social care
Frontline health and social care staff such as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, as well as support and specialist staff in the health and social care sector. In addition it includes those working in supply chains including producers and distributors of medicines and personal protective equipment
Education and childcare
Nursery, teaching staff and social workers
Key public services
Those required to run the justice system, religious staff, as well as those responsible for managing the deceased, and journalists providing public service broadcasting.
Local and national government
Administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response or delivering essential public services, including payment of benefits.
Food and other necessary goods
Those involved in the production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of food.
Public safety and national security
Police, support staff, Ministry of Defence civilian staff and armed forces personnel, fire and rescue staff, and those responsible for border security, prisons and probation.
Transport
Those who will keep air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response.
Utilities, communication and financial services
Staff required to keep oil, gas, electricity, water and sewerage operations running. Staff in the civil nuclear, chemical and telecommunications sectors. Those in postal services and those working to provide essential financial services.
If you think you fall under the category of key worker, in order for us to assess how many children and young people will require provision from Monday, please complete and return the attached form or put the information requested on the form in an email and send it to admin@wethersfield.essex.sch.uk by the end of the school day if at all possible.
Further information will be sent to you later today.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Shingleton
Headteacher
Corona Virus – an update on how schools are operating
Dear Parents,
I am writing to give you further guidance on the way that schools across Essex will be operating over the coming weeks. These changes cover all registered childcare providers (including nurseries and childminders), maintained and academy primary schools, maintained and academy secondary schools; special schools, further education colleges and independent schools.
Firstly, I want to be clear that following the Government directive issued on Wednesday, as from the end of today (Friday 20th March) schools across Essex will be closed. This is to limit the chance of the virus spreading. The Government have indicated that by limiting the number of children who attend schools, settings and colleges, the spread of the virus will reduce and lower the risk to vulnerable individuals in our communities.
School, settings and colleges are being directed to continue to provide care for a limited number of children - children who are deemed vulnerable and children whose parents are critical to the Covid19 response and cannot be cared for safely at home.
The Government have defined vulnerable children as 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 (EHC) plans.
The list of critical workers can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educationalprovision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision
Even with some limited support for parents of vulnerable children and critical workers, the advice from the Government is clear: if you can safely look after your children during this time of a national emergency, then you should do so.
Children with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)
If your child has an EHCP they will be able to attend a school, college or setting. This is an offer and there is no requirement for you to send your child(ren) to school if you do not need to or wish not to do so, you must let your education provider know what you decide.
It is likely that there will be changes to the opening times for some schools in order to remain open in a safe way. Your school will provide you with details of what their plans are and what any changes will mean for you and your child(ren).
The Government are putting legislation in place to temporarily amend parts of the Children and Families Act 2014, including those relating to special educational provision and health care provision in EHCPs. It is highly unlikely that schools, settings and colleges will be able to provide the same provision that is in your child’s current plan but they will work with you around suitable arrangements for your child(ren). There will be delays in the timescales for requests for assessment and new EHCPs during this time.
The majority of children with SEND, who receive SEN Support at school but do not have an EHCP, are expected to stay at home, unless as a parent you are deemed a critical worker.
For children with health needs or underlying health conditions
Schools and colleges will work with parents to make a case by case assessment of the health and safeguarding considerations of children with an EHCP. For some, they will be safer in an education provision. For others, they will be safer at home. Schools and colleges will discuss this with you.
If you are a critical worker:
Children with at least one parent or carer identified as a critical worker by the Government can send their children to a school, college or setting if required. The list of critical workers is above.
Even though you may be deemed a critical worker, it is expected that if your child(ren) can stay at home, they should do so.
Schools, settings and colleges will not be able to provide an education offer to your child(ren) but will be able to provide facilities to enable you to go to work. All normal and usual education activity has been suspended during this emergency period.
If you are not a critical worker and your child(ren) is not classified as vulnerable:
We appreciate that this is a concerning time for all parents, but we are all being urged to do what we can to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The most recent scientific advice on how to further limit the spread of COVID-19 is clear. If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading.
That is why the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and directed schools to be open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.
Education resources for children
Schools, colleges and settings will be providing a range of resources to support you at home with your child(ren).
Schools are working closely with the Local Authority and the Headteacher Associations in order to offer a consistent and safe response to the current crisis. The health and safety of your children is everyone’s first priority.
Thank you for your co-operation at this time.
Kind Regards,
Clare Kershaw
Director of Education
Sent of behalf of:
Essex County Council
The Association of Secondary Headteachers in Essex
Essex Primary Headteacher Association
Essex Special Schools Education Trust
20th March 2020
Dear Parents
Thank you for your continued support during this very difficult time for us all.
The staff and I met yesterday to discuss the details of home learning provision for children, from next week onwards. Each class teacher will be posting information on their class page on the school website www.wethersfieldprisch.essex.co.uk during the day on Monday and this will be updated weekly. This will include a daily English and Maths activity and a range of activities linked to the class topic for children to try.
Children will be bringing home some reading books but please also feel free to use books from home or online resources. Suggested links will be detailed on the school website.
We will also be posting a list of healthy activities for children to access. It is really important that children are having some physical activity every day. A list of general and subject related websites will also be posted. There are some great free resources out there!
Class teachers can be contacted via the admin@wethersfield.essex.sch.uk email address if you have any questions or concerns regarding home learning and they will respond in due course.
Currently, we all have more questions than answers regarding the ongoing situation and I will continue to keep parents updated and informed as the situation develops.
We send best wishes to you and your families and hope that you all remain safe and well.
Yours sincerely
Mrs C. Shingleton
Headteacher
19th March 2020
Dear Parents
At 5.15pm yesterday, the Secretary of State for Education gave a public statement, which informed us that all state-funded schools in England would be closed from the end of the school day on Friday.
He also indicated that all GCSE, AS and A-level examinations due to take place this summer, had been suspended; and that students would be credited for their learning in some other way.
Having indicated that all schools would be closed, he then indicated that they would be expected to remain open for the children of key workers and for those in various vulnerable categories – providing a safe place and access to meals. We are expecting a definition of ‘key worker’ today from the Cabinet Office. It will take time to determine the nature of this provision.
Although we have been anticipating such an announcement, and prepared for various scenarios, the limited details so far released raise considerably more questions than answers. You will all have your own legitimate concerns and queries.
The Secretary of State gave no undertaking that schools would be expected to sustain a pattern of normal learning during the closure; rather that any available staff would be expected to support other front line efforts. Our school response is yet to be determined.
I will be working with my senior leadership colleagues, and all staff, and the local authority to clarify as best we can what this announcement means for the school, for our pupils and for you. I will continue to update parents when further information is received.
Thank you for your support and for your patience in the meantime.
For today and tomorrow, pupil attendance is expected to continue as normal within the COVID-19 Public Health England guidance.
Yours sincerely
Mrs C. Shingleton
Headteacher
Please visit the link below for the latest 'stay at home' guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
Please visit the links below for the latest information on Coronavirus.
Guidance on self isolation if you or your family are displaying symptoms of Coronavirus can be found here. 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
“We are continuing to follow advice from Public Health England in respect of Coronavirus.
We have not been put on alert to close and at present we have no plans to close the school for any additional time.
We are working closely with the Local Authority and if we are advised differently by Public Health England and the Department for Education to close, we will inform parents and carers immediately.”
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