Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
Brief update - start of Second half of the Summer Term 2020
Firstly we hope that you continue to remain well and are staying safe. You will be aware that there has been intense media coverage about a partial reopening of schools reflecting in part the fact that children seem to be far less impacted by Covid19. We sent out letters a couple of weeks ago outlining how school would be for those wishing to return, tomorrow marks the first of those returns for pupils who have indicated they would like to return.
Please do not just turn up if you didn’t respond to the letter a couple of weeks ago. We have had to make extensive arrangements including grouping of children and staff to reduce mixing. We will consider in due course how we can accommodate other pupils / requests for places.
The usual weekly timetables of activities will be published today. These, and the work on them set using Tapestry and Google Classroom, provide the main way that we are striving to stay in contact with pupils and provide learning experiences. Please make sure that you check back on comments made by staff - they sometimes get missed due to the amount of activity.
Please remember that if you have any issues or problems we will always do our very best to help. If you need to contact us please continue to message via Tapestry or Classroom, email the school office directly or call the office which is open every week day.
We are very much looking forward to seeing the return of a number of EYFS, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils this week. We also hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome other pupils back before the end of term if the rules/guidance changes.
Stay safe and well.
Dear parents and carers,
Thank you to all the EYFS, Year 1 and Year 6 parents who quickly completed the form regarding a potential return to school after 1st June. After assessing the responses around 50% of pupils will be returning, initially on a part time basis. We have written separately to these parents to explain return arrangements.
There has been no new news about the remaining year groups although there is a view that a decision will be taken around the end of June so that they may have the opportunity to return to school before the end of the summer term.
Please can we stress that due to the need to considerably change the way that we work and allocate staff and rooms we will not be able to casually accept new members to the arranged groups. We will keep this position under review.
Once again we would like to praise the very positive efforts and work of pupils on Tapestry and Google Classroom. These have proved to be a very effective way of maintaining two way communication between home and school. We contact those who we have concerns about or who have requested specific help. We continue to ask that if you have any queries or concerns regarding learning or other issues to please contact us directly. This can be done via Classroom or by email or telephoning the school office.
If you are a key or critical worker and have changed circumstances please do contact the school office re childcare possibilities in school.
Have a great half term- please note that timetables for the week beginning 1st June will be sent out on 31st May. We look forward to greeting more pupils back in school as soon as we can.
South Benfleet Primary School
We politely request that you carefully read this latest, official government advice regarding the closure of schools and the use of schools for emergency child care provision for critical workers.
Thank you for all the forms completed and returned yesterday.
If you have already requested use of the school for child care in the coming weeks, you do not need to contact the school again. Please note that we will contact you for further information and clarification either by phone or via parent mail (if it is working again).
If having read this official Government advice you now feel that you are a critical worker and that you have no other childcare possibilities or that your child is vulnerable and you have no other childcare possibilities, please contact the school office as soon as possible to discuss your needs and the possibility of a place at our childcare provision.
Kind regards
We are currently experiencing issues with ParentMail so please bear with us.
Dear Parents/Carers,
All pupils attending school today will receive a homework pack this afternoon.
IF YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT FROM SCHOOL TODAY, THE FOLLOWING WILL APPLY:
If your child is an EYFS/ KS1 pupil then their homework pack will be available to collect from the school playground between 11.50am-12.50pm
If your child is a KS2 pupil then their homework pack will be available to collect from the school playground between 12.50pm-1.50pm
If you have a child in both Key Stages then please collect both packs in the KS2 time slot.
If you are unable to attend at either time then the packs will be available to pick up at 3.30pm after all pupils currently in school have left the school site.
If your child has any medication it is vital that you come along and collect that as well. If your child is in school today then it will be sent home with them.
We would politely ask that only 1 family member comes along to pick up the pack and that no children are brought with them. We also ask that you do not congregate in groups in the playground.
Please pass this message to anyone you know may not see this message as we are currently unable to send ParentMails.
If you are unable to collect packs today then the school office will be open next week.
Thank you in advance
The current DfE, scientific and medical guidance is that schools should remain open.
As a school we continue to seek and follow official advice to guide our actions.
We are continuing to encourage regular hand cleansing throughout the day but especially at specific points e.g. lunch and playtime.
We have postponed assemblies for the time being to minimise non-essential close contact of large groups of pupils. This includes class assemblies.
We have put the water fountains out of use so would ask that you provide your child with their own water bottle daily.
We are cancelling all large clubs (running club, choir).
We have cancelled the PTA craft and film nights due to take place on Thursday 2nd April
For pupils absent from school
If well enough, pupils should continue to read and complete any set homework including spellings, Times Table Rockstars and Doodle Maths for Key Stage 2 pupils. Pupils can also access additional reading books and punctuation and spelling games via ActiveLearn. Information for all online learning can be found on labels on the front cover of pupils’ reading records. In addition to this pupils are very welcome to keep a diary, create a scrapbook, carry out independent research linked to their topics which they can share on their return to school, do some sketching or arts and crafts.
Look out for further information about new home learning in the coming days including a new exciting Maths program for Early Years and Year 1 pupils called Numbots.
If your child has problems logging in to any platform, please contact Mrs Crickmar via our school facebook page (South Benfleet School Parents – you will need to request access to the page first if you don’t already belong to it).
What parents can do
Reinforce and remind children of the importance of good personal hygiene e.g. when coughing and sneezing and to regularly wash or sanitise their hands.
Minimise the time spent in the playground at the start and end of school. Please aim to keep a good distance from others.
Follow the guidance for self isolation if you suspect your child or any of your household are displaying symptoms. Please notify the school as soon as possible if you are self isolating.
Reassure children.
Be cautious about unofficial advice spread via social media.
New guidance for households with symptoms
Yesterday, the Government introduced new guidance on whole household isolation in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak:
• if you live alone and you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started
• if you live with others and you or another member of the household have symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill. It is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or be infected already. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
• for anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14-day isolation period.
The symptoms are:
• A high temperature (37.8 degrees and above)
• A new, continuous cough
The full stay at home guidance for households with these symptoms can be found here:
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
Please see the links below for updated advice regarding:
Stay at home guidance (click here); and
Guidance for educational settings (click here)
Please also continue to reinforce good hygiene procedures with your child
The School Council have decided that to support Sport Relief they will be holding a non-uniform day on 13th March. For a donation of your choice, children can come into school wearing ‘sporty clothing’ (this could include a sports kit, tracksuit or even your own PE kit!). There will be various sporting activities taking place during breaks and lunchtimes over the week. There will also be a special menu details of which are on the newsletter.
If you or family members have travelled to affected areas, please follow official advice and inform us so we can consider if we need to take specific actions. Please be aware of misinformation and rumours circulating on Facebook groups and other social media. Please be assured we would contact you if there was a need to do so.
Advice from the Department for Education
The government is monitoring Coronavirus and taking action at home and abroad. The risk to individuals remains low.
Advice to those who have travelled recently
Public Health England has changed the advice for individuals who have travelled recently as follows:
Travellers from Wuhan and Hubei Province, Iran, Daegu or Cheongdo (Republic of Korea) & Any Italian town under containment measures
Travellers should self-isolate, even if not showing symptoms, and call NHS 111 to inform of recent travel. Go home or to your destination and then self isolate.
Travellers from other parts of China and other specified areas
This advice applies to travellers who have returned to the UK from the following areas:
• Cambodia • China*
• Hong Kong • Italy: north
• Japan • Laos
• Macau • Malaysia
• Myanmar • Republic of Korea
• Singapore • Taiwan
• Thailand • Vietnam
*please click here to see map for detailed locations
Travellers from these areas do not need to undertake any special measures, but if they develop symptoms they should self-isolate and call NHS 111.
Encouraging good hygiene
As always, if you have symptoms of a cold or flu, then there are measures you can take to stop germs:
• always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.
• wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
• avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
Please reinforce with your child(ren) the importance of good hygiene routines.
Latest information
Updates on Coronavirus - https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Travel advice for those travelling and living overseas - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
Public Health England blog - https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/Dear Parents/Carers
As we return from half term, we are aware that advice regarding Coronavirus (Covid-19) has been updated and strengthened. The DFE has issued the following guidance to schools.
Advice to parents/carers
Don’t panic! You should continue about your daily life as normal including sending your child(ren) into school.
If you have been abroad recently please refer to specific guidelines given by the Government https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus. Be particularly vigilant and read official advice if you have been to any of the following places:
Northern Italy
South Korea
Iran
China
Thailand
Japan
Republic of Korea
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Singapore
Malaysia
Macau
Actions we are taking in school
We continue to remind pupils of the importance in a school community of the every day need for good hygiene - such as regularly washing hands, always sneezing into a tissue and covering your mouth when you cough to stem the spread of viruses. We would ask you to reinforce these important messages at home.
As a school we are keeping up to date with the latest guidance and will inform you and take action as appropriate.
Please make us aware if your child or a family member is having to self isolate or has developed symptoms and we will discuss the next steps with you in terms of school attendance.
Thank you
South Benfleet Primary School